Hospital unit not using SBAR format vent

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

We have a new clinical sup on our unit . He is a nurse of 5 years .. He took all our SBAR format report sheets and threw them out . He came up with this mess of a report sheet that is not anywhere close to SBAR and they are not even approved by our director of nursing at the hospital ! He just did this horrible report sheet and expects us to use it ! I told him JACHO requires us to give report in SBAR format and that is hospital policy! I took out the SBAR sheets I had and redid all the report sheets in SBAR and threw his sheets out ... I then told him I will not ever use them ! The war has begun he was very angry and walked out of the room! I have had no trouble with him before this SBAR ........until he asked a CNA to call a Dr to clarify an order .. I told the CNA she could not do that and again he was mad and felt I stepped out of bounds ,,,, he is so inexperienced he has no idea what he is doing .. I have been a nurse 26 years ... Anyway thank you for listening ... Does your hospital always use SBAR? Do you think I should tell our manager about the clin sup asking a CNA / Unit coordinator to call a doc? Thank you !!

[nursel56]

On behalf of experienced nurses everywhere, I thank you for standing up to this individual! And yes, if he knew this person was a CNA, I'd want my manager to know he told a CNA to call and get an order clarifed . . . (--what the-?)

I know there will be people who bring up the delicate office politics angle - but honestly it is just such a breath of fresh air to read you took decisive action right away.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

To the best of my knowledge, I believe JCAHO requires person-to-person (notice I did not say in person, or face to face) handoff communication with the opportunity to ask questions/get clarification. I do not believe they require Piece of Paper A over Piece of Paper B (at least in this area, LOL).

None of the 3 hospitals where I have worked have required a printed piece of paper to be completed for shift-to-shift report for a patient remaining in the same unit.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I don't think that is what the OP is saying. I think she/he is saying that that is format (SBAR) required.

To the best of my knowledge, I believe JCAHO requires person-to-person (notice I did not say in person, or face to face) handoff communication with the opportunity to ask questions/get clarification. I do not believe they require Piece of Paper A over Piece of Paper B (at least in this area, LOL).

None of the 3 hospitals where I have worked have required a printed piece of paper to be completed for shift-to-shift report for a patient remaining in the same unit.

[silentRN]

Our SBARs aren't apart of the official chart, so I don't follow it too often. There's a box where you can write additional info and that's where I write the pertinent stuff so that I can remember. The patients I get from PACU, OR, or ED I have to do my own assessments always...I'm just concerned about DX, HX, any procedures done, anything focused (like if he was a head bleed, what's his neuro exam like so that I can have their baseline to base mine off of), and any significant medications given like ABX so that I know when to time the next dose.

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

I can't believe that we've come to the point where all the report sheets have to look alike. If you give the same information what is the problem. I have, for 35 years, written what I need to know on a piece of paper and it stays in my pocket. A "former", thankfully, manager scolded me and asked how I was able to give a proper sbar report without using the form. I quickly gave her an example without missing a beat. You don't need a paper just like everybody else carries around to do your work.I later made my own "written" out form which she never asked about, but it is about half the size of the forms used by others.

[caliotter3]

I think you should have a discussion with your manager. If you don't do it now, you will still have to do it later and things will be worse.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our SBAR is including in our EHR when we open the patients chart. Before we had our EHR, we did have an example of what to do, but all of us use our own written style to take report.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I have seen different versions of the OP's situation whenever a newbie is promoted to a position of authority... they always tend to make the same type of mistakes when trying to exert "I'm the boss" before they actually understand what's going on. They issue edicts, rearrange the bulletin board, remove magazines & catalogues from the break room, crack down on schedule changes, and spend most of their non-meeting time in a closed office, working on "important things".

I have done management development/training for a hundred years, and I always advise newbies to try to avoid making any changes for at least 6 months. They need to use this time to get to know their staff - all shifts & learn how things really work.

Without appropriate mentoring & guidance, new managers inevitably trigger a common phenomena - one of those 'good news- bad news' things. New managers tend to unite the staff (yea!) but the staff is united in an effort to undermine the new boss (bad news). Never underestimate the effect of passive-aggressive staff solidarity - LOL.

Unfortunately, it seems that newbies are the only people who want to become managers these days because the old-timers don't want the hassle anymore and don't need the ego boost.