How long does it take to give report?

JSlovex2 · Jun 5, 2011

you will learn how long report will take and how detailed it needs to be after you get to know your co-workers. it's really nice when the same nurse who had the patient(s) the day/night before comes back bc that shortens it obviously since they already know the patient(s). i always look at the schedule to see who will be relieving me now and prepare for report based on who that nurse is. for example, i know some nurses come in ON TIME or early and get their list ready, look at the board, check with the charge, etc. then, i know some nurses don't prepare at all and then they want to know EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. if it's one that wants to know every single detail, i'll often print out the papers we use during report and go ahead and fill them in with all the information that i typically don't care about when i'm RECEIVING report. that way they don't have to ask a million questions and document my answers bc they're already written down for them.

i've said a million times, but i used to be a CNA. when i'd receive report as a CNA i just wanted to know the basics, such as: what is their diet? do they have a foley? do they need help ambulating? are they a DNR? you know - things that i would need to know to do MY job. then, there were CNAs who wanted to know every detail like, "do they have an IV and which arm is it in?" and i would think, "how does that affect your job?" yeah, you obviously don't want to take a blood pressure over someone with a PICC, but that's something you will SEE when you walk into the room for crying out loud. if there's a big IV pole by their bed, then that means they have an IV. you know? anyhow, just go with the flow - always take a minute before and after to be sure you didn't forget anything, and always ask - do you have any questions?

hopefulwhoop · Jun 5, 2011

I work 7p-7a. Report happens around 7a, sometimes sooner. If the nurse has had the pts before, 5 mins or so 'cause I'm just giving updates. If the nurse hasn't had the pts before, typically 15-20mins.

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Jun 5, 2011

Report can consist of, "Nothing new, no changes", especially if you work in long term care and you are receiving report from the same nurse as yesterday for the same assignment. However, there is usually someone who got sick and placed on alert charting, or someone is due for some lab draws in the morning, and you are required to deal with it or pass the info on.

I flipping love those reports. lol

tachybradyRN · Jun 5, 2011

on the telemetry unit i work on, we take 6 patients generally. we give a verbal, face-to-face report at the bedside. i'm night shift, and day shift nurses come in at either 0630 or 0700 depending on their schedules. (some do 0630-0730, some do 0700-0730). if it's a new report to a nurse who has not yet had my patients, or multiple nurses, it could take up to 45-60 minutes. someone who is coming back to take my group a second day in a row, usually 15-20 minutes. it depends on the day and the circumstances.

TheMiss · Jun 5, 2011

I agree with "worked hard and long" It really depends. In ICU (1-2 patients) it doesn't take longer than 15-30 minutes. If you are the one receiving the report you just have to deal with how long the one giving it wants to talk for. If you are the one giving the report just be prepared. I take a system by system approach so that I don't miss anything and make notes for myself if there are specific values I don't want to forget. On a peripheral ward I'd have no idea.

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2011

My shift ends at 0030, and I usually end up leaving the hospital at 0025. I'm in the ED.

FLArn · Jun 5, 2011

As far as the time involved in giving/receiving report, the other posters have covered it well. I would like to add that for the first 6 months to a year you will be honing your time management skills, so don't look to be out on time on a regular basis even if report is short. I considered myself lucky if I was ready to give report by the time everyone else was finished! It comes with time but it does come!

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 5, 2011

Report giving is something that gets better with practice.

In ICU if I am giving the patients back to the nurse who worked yesterday, all I give are the updates. Report and checking orders might take 10 minutes total.

A report to a new grad or a floating nurse might take longer and include some extras such as "here we draw labs for tacrolimus at 0800" that I would skip with a seasoned nurse.

firstlight · Jun 5, 2011

Do you find having a shift handover report faster?

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 5, 2011

Report usually takes about 5 mins per patient. We have 6 patients a nurse on my floor so it should total around 30 minutes, however, we usually get report from 2 or 3 different nurses so a few minutes gets wasted waiting for a nurse to finish reporting to another nurse. This waiting adds about 15 minutes. So, with this factored in, report is usually about 45 minutes total.

Perpetual Student · Jun 5, 2011

It depends on the patient. I can tell the floor RN everything he needs to know (and then a good bit more) about the post-op patient I'm bringing him in 90 seconds or less 90% of the time. That's once he arrives at the bedside, sometimes I have to wait a while to give my spiel. I provide a hand-written note including the highlights, which I suppose adds another minute or two if you count how long I take to prepare it, but I write that while I'm observing the patient and titrating my meds.

If you're well-prepared for report and know what you've got to say it should be pretty quick. It will obviously take longer for more complex patients in the ICU or wherever.

It will take you time to develop your own rhythm. That's OK. As stated above, it often helps if you tailor your report to the recipient. One piece of advice I have is to genuinely see if the receiving nurse has any questions or concerns. I ask every nurse I give report to if he has "any questions or concerns." Doing so offers an opportunity to answer questions, but also for the recipient to say "I'm worried about . . ." I can then address whatever issues may exist. More often than not there's no questions or one quick question and everyone leaves happy. I was initially reluctant when we started bedside reporting, and at times it's an annoyance when the receiving nurse is tied up elsewhere, but I've found that everyone looking at the patient during report makes it so that many nurses are less likely to ask a lot of questions. You can tell a lot just by looking at the patient.