Have you ever given report to the next shift...

[askater11]

and felt like you were getting interrogated.

Ugh it happened to me today.

I had a horrible day...I had the worse of the unit patients. That always happens to contigent nurses that don't always work their and nurses "pulled" to this unit. I ran my little tush for 12 hours...I felt my head spinning by the end of the day. I wanted to give a nice quick report but it ended up being an interrogation. And I really don't think she believed a thing I said. She kept repeating everything to me...almost exactly as I stated it.

She asked a lot of very pertinent questions but some were very nit picky. What I hate is when you're trying to GIVE report...but it ends up being more they question and you must answer....and answer the way they'd like. They say, "what's the vital signs?" "what's the WBC?" "what's the lung sounds?" Let me tell what I have to say...a few interruptions are cool for clarification--but let me GIVE report.

What's so funny is the nurses from the "other" units I work on....KNOW what patients I have on that floor...because everybody always gets "pulled" there and you know who the "pulled"/contigent nurse will get.

****

Biggest pet peeve...a nurse that doesn't allow you to leave a thing to be done on the following shift.

E.G. When I started out in nursing .... year's ago...I had a post-angioplasty patient in an irregular rhythm. I think it was atrial fibrillation. The gentleman converted during the night into a controlled S.T. (low 100's) early in the evening around 1 A.M.

The patient was NPO for cardioversion in the A.M. The day nurse was appalled I didn't have the room ready for cardioversion--she said you know the Dr. arrives promptly at 7 or 8 A.M. for the cardioversion and everything must be ready. I repeated myself..."he converted...NO MORE ATRIAL FIB" She was upset and had me set up the room incase the patient converted into a-fib in the next 1/2 hour.

Okay I was the BIGGEST GUMP--I actually stayed and set up the room...I received overtime--but looking back I was an idiot. I stand up for myself now--

I could go on--and on about my horrible no good very bad day but complaining isn't constructive--unless it's to the right people. And yes I did talk to the manager regarding my concerns of acuity and a few other things. (how I hate working on that floor)

[Burnt Out, ASN, RN]

originally posted by andylyn

and it seems like the nurses who are so nit-picky when taking report are the same ones who don't know "#$%#$" when giving report! either that, or have saline locks that have been sub-q since halfway through their shift... i guess it's the same everywhere!

yeppers......bingo!

[Rapheal]

That type of nurse makes you feel like they think you did nothing all shift. Here is what this nite shift nurse likes on report.

Lung sounds

Bowel sounds

NPO status or dysphagia status

IV site(not necessary but nice) Fluid and rate

Edema

and ABNORMAL vitals

and High risk for falls

and cardiac enzymes going up or down

The reason I like this info is many times I see the patient before the previous shifts charting so I can pick out a change in status quicker or check the IV rate (some nurses run their piggybacks as primary on a pump and forget to put in the correct volume so a patient on KVO may still be running at 125 and they are a CHF patient).

As for nit picky questions "It's charted."

So don't let them get to you. I too have noticed that the laziest nurses are the one's who will nit pick to death because they will take your report and repeat it verbatum for their end of shift report. They have been known to chart your assessment as their assessment. Yes this is true. I have had patients tell me that no one has listened to their heart and lungs since they were admitted and I believe them. Wouldn't you have like to have said to the nurse who wanted the room ready by 7 or 8 am "Well you better hurry and get started, so I will try to make report quick" lol

[live4today, RN]

As The Nursing World Turns.......:chuckle

It's allllllllllllllllllll coming back to me now. :chuckle

Yep, I see the same things going on where I work. Myself, I wish we could just tape report and call it a day at the end of my shift.

[mattsmom81]

I see this stuff as shift change bullying to be honest. LOVED particularly Deb's and PRN's suggestions and I plan to use 'em!!!!!! :)

I'm back in critical care after a few years off...and I find I'm low guy on the totem pole to those new nurses who don't know me...and I'm getting the 20 questions and 'why didn't I do more for them' routine too.

'Course being absent has taken a tole on my self esteem so I'm sure this plays into it...I used to have a great 'look' myself, will have to redevelop one...LOL!

[angelbear]

I too think this is a form of bullying. I have had this happen during report as well for example I would say so and so's temp was 99.4 axillary. Then the nurse would say well did you take a rectal temp to which I would say no I was the nurse on and I felt axillary was sufficient if you want a rectal temp your are the nurse now so be my guest. That is kind of my attitude I was the one there and I used my judgement if that is not good enough for them then they are welcome to come in at night and do my job. As for interrupting my report I simply say I will be happy to answer any questions you may have when I am through giving you my report.

[passing thru]

AndyLyn, You are soooooooooo right !

These are the same nurses who don't know #!*## about the

patients when you return to receive report from them !

?

[healingtouchRN]

We have written report sheets that I try to rewrite daily, so they are clear, they stay on the clipboard with the MAR. If some one is so rude, I just say, "read about it" . I don't tolerate the interagation tactics any longer (oh how many names come to mind?). However, I do work with a nurse I have to chase to give report. I would like to just leave him high & dry but, I care toooo deeply for my patients for him to go unknowing. Besides I share an office with this person....I'd don't want retribution.

[Jay-Jay, RN]

Originally posted by judy ann

These are the only people who I enjoy leaving a taped report for. I always wait till the tape is finished--doing charting, etc., but they can't interrupt the tape! After listening, there do not seem to be too many questions. What a surprise!:chuckle

They can't interrup the tape.... HAH!! When I was a lowly student, on this one particular unit, nurses TALKED all the way through report!! IT DROVE ME NUTZ!! And (as a lowly student!) I felt I didn't have the right to ask them to SHUT UP so I could hear what was being said about MY patients!

My teacher had a word with them, and things got a lot better in a hurry! But I imagine once our rotation was finished, things just went back to the way they were.

And no one bothered stopping the tape, either, they just talked right overtop of it!

Most other units I've been on, you didn't interrupt report for anything less than a code! I recall another unit where I came in during report to tell them one of the patients had died (she was a no-code, needless to say), and it was quite a few minutes before I could get anyone's attention!

[kimmicoobug]

Like to share my experience as a new grad and a new nurse. During my first oral report that I was giving, I started to say patient's name, doctor, room number, and diagnosis, like how I was taught in school. I got to the doctor part, and one of the seasoned nurses cut me off and told me not to mention the useless stuff like dx or doctor, cause they can look on the cardex, and it saves time. O-kay!!!! So, I restarted my report, fumbling, and included the dx and all of that anyways. There were two students in the room and another new nurse who were not familiar with the patient. I have found on this unit when I am taking a patient that is new to me, but not tnew to the unit frustrating. I usually hear a very quick report, usually consisting of "no changes". Ok, but from what? Stuff I would like to hear in report. Location of incisions and what it looked like, since I have spent the past two weeks in an ortho/neuro unit.

But, back to the nurse who really shot me down that one day. Two days later, she came to me and told me I just did wonderfully with giving taped report. I kept it short and pertinent, but thorough.

Go figure!!!!

[kimmicoobug]

I forgot to mention that this nurse who cut me off that first time in report, is actually a wonderful nurse. I was irritated that one day, and a little shaken since this is all new to me. I get along with her fine now.

[passing thru]

I hate to have the kardex read to me...I can read it.

TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PT. ON YOUR SHIFT.

It makes a diference if you are familiar with the patient.

But I hate nurses who read me the kardex & think they've given me report.

Then MY questions start.... (interrogating?)

No, just tell me what you did/know about this patient from YOUR shift.

I have had nurses actually tell me they hadn't seen the pt. ALL shift, or hadn't discussed the pt. with the aide, either.

Or say, actually, I looked in on the patient this morning,

and he was eating breakfast & I haven't seen him since.

Yep, you'd be surprised how often I hear that.

The average nurse spends 10 minutes in a 12 hour shift in a patients' room....

Thanks to computers/paperwork.

New national average report.

[imenid37]

was begged to come to work during a blizzard in 1996. they got a ride for me, so in i went. they really needed me to work on pospartum. i did work 4 hours on pospartum THEN i was pulled to the med-surg floor from h-ll. i told the nurses working who could barely acknowledge that i was an life form that was fit to inhabit this earth, that i had not done med-surg in about 6 years. no response. i was given a team of 12 patients. oh joy! i muddled through the night w/ these snotty nurses and a tech. one of my patients went into pulmonary edema and w/ great effort the charge nurse was able to tell me how to contact the medical resident in charge of this man.

THEN IT WAS TIME TO GIVE REPORT TO THE DAY SHIFT. these were some of the most unpleasant witches i have ever met. i was berated because i did not get a clean caught urinalysis on an incontinent patient. no one else had gotten it for more than 24 hours since it was ordered. i was never given report that it was needed. the oncoming nurse muttered under her breath that she hated it when she had to do things other people should've done (as well as running complaints w/ each pt. that was reported on). i turned and smiled sweetly to her and said "maybe you can just put some clean linens on there and wring her sheets out!" i was so mad. i was almost thirty years old and nearly in tears. what the devil is wrong w/ me. today, i would've referrred to this nurse appropriately as the sorry, mean bytch that she was.