importance of getting report before seeing the patient

[Kristisnej]

Last clinical I was assigned to nurse that had an emergency. I had to wait for her to get report from night nurse. It was 0745 and I was still waiting. so I decided to go and check on her Pts before we got report from night shift nurse. Well, I got in trouble for that. Now I have to write the paper about importance of getting report first before seeing the patient ... Honestly to say I didn't realize till I got this assignment, how crucial it might be if you don't listen to report from the last nurse that have been taking care of that patient. Because, by not listening to report from the last nurse we are not only missing an important piece of patient care, but we are also putting the patient at risk ( since we might be missing a vital piece of information that can affect the patients life). However, My instructor said this is not enough, and that I need to write more ..Please help!!!!What else can I write about importance of getting report before seeing the Pt???

Thanks

[ukstudent]

I'm not sure what the big deal is. There would be certain situations where going in first before knowing about the patient is a problem, but the majority of the time, I don't see how it is. (I'm in med/surg). If I'm waiting on the night nurse to get report, I will sometimes go into a room and introduce myself. I simply say, "I'll be your nurse today. I will be getting report from (night shift nurse) in a few minutes and then I'll be back to see what needs to be done. Is there anything I can get for you right now??" If they ask for coffee and I think they might be NPO, etc, I'll say, "Let me check to see what your diet status is first, then I'll see what I can do." Usually we have signs up if a pt is NPO or on a fluid restriction or in isolation, etc. I have a kardex with that info, I've already looked them up in the computer. It really isn't a big deal the way our unit is set up.

And it is NEVER a problem to say, "I don't know, but let me check on that for you and I'll be right back." NEVER. That instills more confidence than making promises you can't keep or lying.

The problem is that this is a STUDENT. She is working under other peoples licenses and until the nurse she working with that day gets report it is NOT her patient. Can she just go into any patient's room and start helping the patient, NO. Can she come back to the hospital not on a clinical day and go into a patient room, even on she was the student nurse the day before and start helping, NO. Students work under the rules set up by the hospital and the school. By going into a patient room while that patient was still under the night shifts control (hand off had not taken place) she broke the rules set up.

[mappers]

OK, I can see that. But when we did clinicals, we were supposed to go to the unit the day before to prepare. Part of that (I think) was asking the patient's permission. Or maybe we did that the day of clinical not when we were preparing?? I don't remember...long time ago.