Giving report

[freckles23]

So I have a few coworkers I dread giving report to. One of them is so slow to grasp anything I say in the report and she has been working there longer then I have (a year). She holds onto every word I say and must jot everything down. Usually I will give a detailed report but majority of the stuff the nurse could look up, so I'll briefly mention some labs, diagnoses or vitals. I also have a senior co worker who bullies me saying I should know every detail about my patient but then when she gives report in return, it is very half ass and I only end up getting half the story which I feel is very unfair. Then, I kind of find it rude when its change of shift and there happens to be a change in status with one of the patients and the nurse getting the patient expects me to do all of the work for her. I understand I just gave you report and I will gladly call the doctors answering service so he can be made aware of the situation but if it is 7:40a and the doctor calls back, I feel it is the new nurses responsibility to take that call and handle the matter from there. Also when a patient gets called down for a test last minute during change of shift and I try and help get the patient on a stretcher and fill out last minute paperwork for a procedure and an rushing to get everything together and the new nurse on shift doesn't lift a finger to help me get her patient to her procedure on time when it is going to be on her shift.. Some of these things have really frustrated me working as a nurse. I have no problem helping when it comes to change of shift but some times I feel like my shift is up at 7a, so now it is next shifts turn to take over. And lastly, my patients heart rate ended up becoming elevated during change of shift so I called the doctor and got a new order so I asked the new nurse do you want me to push the bp med or you can do it and she made me do it at 745a way after my shift is done. Am I crazy for feeling this way? Am I taking it too harshly? Or should this always be expected? I know as a nurse, your job is never done and you are a team and help out your co workers but I feel there are time limits as to when you are off the clock... You are no longer helping, you've done what you could do for the shift and need to go home . That is my vent for the day! Thanks for listening.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I encourage you to discuss this with your manager because (from the information you've provided) the problem is systemic - ingrained into the culture of your unit. As a manager, I found that working with the staff to establish clear new 'rules' for the department is an effective method. For instance, the 'rule' could specify that at 7, the responsibility for all patient activities shifts to the oncoming nurse.

The problem with a traditional report is that unless there is a standard format that has to be used, it can easily descend into simply reading the chart to the oncoming nurse & the senior nurse 'quizzing and testing' the junior one (AKA, bullying). My organization adopted a very specific structure and format when we adopted Bedside Shift Report a couple of years ago. Yeah, it was painful & required a lot of 'coaching' and 'encouragement' as well as manager accountability to make it happen, but now - it's much smoother and bullying behavior has pretty much disappeared because the standard format simply does not allow it.

[Julius Seizure]

My patients heart rate ended up becoming elevated during change of shift so I called the doctor and got a new order so I asked the new nurse do you want me to push the bp med or you can do it and she made me do it at 745a way after my shift is done. Am I crazy for feeling this way?

I learned this eventually -- never ask if they want you to do a task if you are gonna be upset when they say yes! I totally empathize with the frustrations that you talk about in your post because I have experienced that too. But if it's 745 and you don't feel that you should be made to continue doing tasks for the oncoming shift, then DONT offer. You set yourself up for that one.

Good luck navigating a tricky work situation. It's tough to figure out where to set the boundaries between being a team player and being taken advantage of.