How to get report without chasing call lights???

[NYNurseRN]

I work on a 32 Bed Cardiology floor, very high acuity, we are usually full and have 5-7 nurses, and 2 techs (sometimes one or none!) The problem I am having is getting started in the morning, I mean, we come in to take report (Which is written in SBAR form) and check the labs, charts, etc, but the call lights are needing to be answered and pts are needing care, the techs are taking AM vitals (We do vitals Q4H), and arent able to attend to all the lights! Some mornings, I cant even start meds and assessments until 9am (We start shift at 7am). I thought about asking my manager to have the night shift do the AM vitals so the techs can tend to the pts while we take report, but that prob wont happen....... ANY suggestions?

[sasha1224]

One possible solution is to stagger the start times of the nurses and the techs. I don't think this would add to cost. For example, techs could start at 630(am or pm), be done with their report and be on the floor while nurses(starting at 7 am or pm) are getting report. Combine this with a written or recorded report system, it might just work.

[amyb2684]

Sorry if I repeat; I did not read replies.

On my unit, out charge nurses started doing shift change @ 6 & their support to answer call lights has helped tremendously. We also switched to bedside report, which shows pts we are actually doing something & it decreases their anxiety they get from the shift change. Something I do personally that we ddn't implement as a unit; I amp my pts up for the shift change by mentioning it somewhere around 4 or 5 by telling them about the upcoming change & letting them know that between 6&8 we need time to review their charts & make sure we can pass on a sufficient report about them to the oncoming nurse so they can do everything that is needed for them. I just find the right combination of words based on the pt to make them understand that taking care of them well isnt always at bedside & it takes us time away from them to adequately care for them. I also tell them to make any requests now....pain, water, questions, etc. It doesn't always work & some pts will still call to have their feet covered, but some pts will respect that time frame.

Hope this helps!!

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

In my unit patients needs come before getting vital signs. If a tech is getting routine vital signs and a call light goes off they are supposed to stop what they are doing and go answer the bell.

... and then not get the vitals done fast enough.

[annest]

i would like to invite you all (and any nurses you know) to participate in my doctoral research on the patient handoff.

if you are a nurse who has participated in shift change reports (patient handoffs), i need your help! please take a few minutes to answer some questions about the best or the worst handoff that you can remember.

what you and other nurses say are important characteristics of a shift report is the focus of my doctoral dissertation research in communication. please help by linking to this site for more information:

http://comm.uky.edu/streeter/survey