Interruptions while giving report

[MsSocalRN]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if I could get some opinions on a pet peeve of mine. I hate when the nurse coming on interrupts me while I am giving report to them, would it be unprofessional of me to say please let me finish my report and then if you have questions I will answer them. I report head to toe and I will be on the neuro part and they will interrupt me and ask what kind of fluids they are on!!!! Drives me nuts. I am a fairly new nurse, I have a little over a year experience but I am new at this hospital only about a month and I don't want to make people mad, but I don't want to be ran over either. Please give me some ideas on how to handle this problem.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

This is report on patient mentioned above.

Rm 111, Joe Blow, CHF, A&O, NSR, up ad lb, Lr #100. NPO now for heart cath at 8am.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

here is my typical report, pts name, doc, admitting dx, pertinent hx to admitting dx, if they are alert, if they are on tele, how many liters of O2 and activity, location of IV and fluids and rate, allergies if any and any new orders for procedures. So am I missing anything and do you think thats too much info? Oh, and thank you for the spelling lesson too.

I think your problem may be that you don't take criticism very well. Neither here nor at work.

Do us all a favor in the future. If you only want posts that pat your behind and say "good girl, how dare those big ol' meanies do this to you!", please state so in your original post.

In case you didn't notice, that lady was trying to gently tell you the same thing everyone else here (and at your hospital) were thinking. I surely hope you don't overreact at work the way you did to her advice.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Dayshift nurse told me she did not tape a report but said just go ahead and listen to night shift's report!

[student forever]

Actually, I always spell judgement with an e and I have not been to the UK since 1973. Both spellings are correct according to Mr. Webster and others. :)

At the risk of giving a long-winded report: the rule is flexible on dropping the "e" when adding "ment" as in "atonement".

[sapphire18]

I work ICU, and we DO give a head-to-toe report, unless the nurse coming on had the pt the day/night before, then we just give an update on any changes.

I would try to go with whatever is the norm for your floor, though.

[nyrn5125]

do you speak fast enough? maybe it's that you might take too long to give info and not that it's too much info. Depending on the kind of floor it sounds like the info you give is appropriate. However, report to me at least, is a conversation with my colleague. Yes we ask back and forth questions, we go off topic sometimes and they might need an answer to a question before they forget to ask it. Where I work we try to be quick but tell the oncoming as much pertinent info we can so the other person isn't clueless. Sometimes we know which MD is rounding the second I am out of report asking tons of questions and I tell them that this is what I was given in report by previous nurse. Also keep it specific to the pt. If they had a lap colectomy. I want to know if there's bowels sound, flatus. I don't need to know that he has a 20 guage on the right unless it was nearly impossible to get it in. If he had a cath. How's the groin, hematoma?pulses?

[MinnieMomRN]

This is report on patient mentioned above.

Rm 111, Joe Blow, CHF, A&O, NSR, up ad lb, Lr #100. NPO now for heart cath at 8am.

:yeah:Short and sweet. Love it.

[NamasteNurse, BSN, RN]

You did ask for some ideas on how to handle the problem you are having, so try to take the constructive criticism you are receiving and not take it personally. that's a basic in all aspects of nursing, we are all learning every day.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

The "problem" is that some nurses want to know every little detail. We had a phone report system followed by a quick face to face for updates. Some nurse would say something like "well, you said they were sinus tach in the low 100-110 range, but you haven't mentioned what all their electrolyte values were for the last week while they were here!"

or

"Well, you didn't mention what their edema was like " (yes, that is how they would phrase it) Umm, that's because the don't have any, and I am not going to do you assessment for you.

At the same time, there were some other nurses who preferred the ten second version for each pt "NSR, regular diet, BBS CTA, sodium 133, all other labs WNL, no edema (had to throw that in just in case the first nurse got that pt)."

[amarilla, RN]

I've read the other replies but IMO, the length/detail of report really depends on your individual floor. On the surgical floor where I work, we're expected to give a full report: date of admission, dx, short chronology of events on how we got the pt, hx, doc, allergies, a head to toe with any noted issues, activity, diet, IV, fluids and any pending orders/procedures. When I'm handing off 6-8 patients in the am, report can take up to a half hour and there are those nurses who interrupt. If they continue to do it after I ask them to hold their questions for the end, I ask them if they want to forego the rest of report and that I'll let the charge know before I clock out. It's not safe and I don't like it, but I can only send it up the chain while management works out the issue.

I feel your pain about that, OP - nurses on my floor (always the same ones) will cut you off and shrug off the details of report, only to call you about 5 hours later after you've fallen asleep to say, 'hey, you didn't tell me about...'. Ugh. Getting report from them is always ridiculous - they leave out important information or mix up the patients' details. If it's always the same people, take a look at their report sheet (if they have one); I found with one or two nurses that their brain sheets were organized differently than mine and that's partly why they interjected. Maybe listen to a few others' report and see if they're doing anything differently? Or if the unit has changed policy about report?

[beast master RN]

lol. i love posts that randomly refer to "people" when user names are clearly listed. Its an allnurses special.

Can't seem to be that brave that you call people out on what you see (which I don't agree with by the way)?

hey VICEDRN really??? are we really talking about brave on a web site??? your funny:yeah:

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Is it a certain nurse or all nurses that interupt you? Do you see a pattern? Once you get to know your coworkers you will want to alter the way you give report. Some what less, some want more and some don't want any. Give the basics of what you need to give and go from there.