more issues with report

[Beatlefan, BSN]

Hi everyone, I have posted here in the past about shift change report and the hostile work environment I have been in for the last 8 years. Intermediate care floor, reporting off to some co-workers can be brutal. They will quiz each other, roll their eyes, not listen and then ask you to repeat something- not fun. I have another bad situation regarding report that just happened at work yesterday, and need to hear from other nurses, as this has been my only nursing job in my nursing career.

A known bully RN from my floor was receiving transfer report from another floor. The nurse giving the report didn't have much to say about the patient. My co-worker proceeded to raise her voice, aggressively accuse the other nurse of not knowing what he was talking about, not knowing his patient, she told him to call her back when he had enough time to research all the pertinent information. It was horrible to listen to. When she hung up, she asked me if I would back her up, and my response was that sometimes in reports, you get what you get, and look up the rest or directly ask the patient. My workplace and specific floor has a reputation for bullying. I don't know any nursing environment that is not dysfunctional- but perhaps to some extent they all are? My husband says that the "nurses eat their young" is one of the most common stereotypes and that I knew that going in.

Any thoughts? Most shift change reports that I give have been easy going lately, but there is the occasional co-worker who will attempt to be nasty, and I'm really getting burned out just from immature co-workers and laziness at work!!

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

I recently changed jobs and have found a wonderful place to work (I think, I hope). Always remember these bullies are not about you, it is their problem. Even in my new place there are a couple of nurses who don't want to take report. One told me the other day that report shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. I no longer take this personally. I give a very short report and chart that I gave report. Then its on the next nurse. Hopefully they look through the chart and find out about the patient. I know your problem is the opposite from mine. If I was you I would print off a standard SBAR sheet and read report from it. The SBAR report sheet is currently considered the gold standard for report so if you have that filled out you have met requirements and can tell the oncoming nurse that you believe you have covered what is needed and she will need to research the chart for further information.

[Gooselady, BSN, RN]

Wow, she's bold to ask you to back her up. It probably wasn't easy to NOT agree with her right away lest she lay into you. In my previous hospital job, we had a two or three nurses who seemed to regard getting report as a competitive sports event, a TV game show for points, or something. We had EPIC and access to all patient records from ER or other floors, yet certain nurses DEMANDED verbal information that was already repetitive in the chart, and would become upset when these expectations weren't met.

I personally think it's anxiety, a lack of self-confidence in the nurse who is receiving report. What else could it be? It's not that they are better clinicians or more thorough themselves because of it. And it feels better to get ANGRY than to feel afraid you are going to screw something up, so there you go. There's nothing like a good offense when you need a good defense. If I am angry and demanding when I get report from you, then YOU are the one that's off balance, not me, the receiving nurse who knows diddly squat about the new patient.

You are too young to remember the Brady Bunch . . . hmm, but there was an episode where either Jan or Marsha had to make a public speech, and she'd get up there and see the audience and freeze up. Her solution was to imagine everyone in the audience in their underwear. It made her laugh and relax. For angry report demanders, remember this behavior is due to his or her lack of self-confidence, they are badly behaved -- no excuses for that, but still -- and you do not have to accept their 'gift' of offensiveness :) . What I've done (at least a hundred times) is respond as if they were cheerfully asking me questions, every single time. By doing this from the git go, it disarms them. They relax, like it's contagious or something. And refusing to respond with a tone of frustration is just enough of a disconnect that it's hard for them to escalate with a cheerful, matter-of-fact person on the other end.

IOW, 'ignore' the nastiness, pretend you haven't noticed, even in person, and give your sbar report and thank them and off you go. I've noticed some nurses seemed a bit relieved, like they really didn't WANT to have a spat, but they just got crazy when they were anxious. Some really do want a fight . . . so don't give it to them :)

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

I usually look them in the eye and say, "if you have any questions, after I am finished, I will gladly answer to the best of my ability." That seems to stop the behavior.

[caliotter3]

If you have been dealing with this work environment up to now, is it getting bad for you? Do you see yourself looking for another place to work anytime soon? You can't judge the effect on another employee, only for yourself. If you are able to deal with it, I would not worry about how the next person is coping with the bad apples giving/receiving report. I would just offer my support and leave it at that.

[Beatlefan, BSN]

Gooselady- I am printing off this response- and all 4 of the kind responses, actually- but will read this before my next shift! You are mature and wise, and 100% spot on!

And I am not too young to remember the Brady Bunch...I remember wanting to be Marcia Brady, but had wavy hair in the '70s. :)