It's Driving Me Crazy

kp2016 · Nov 16, 2019

As much as I think HIPAA is over the top and a bit ridiculous it is what it is. If you have not started your shift the patients are not in your care which means accessing their charts would be a HIPPA violation. It is like this everywhere in the USA.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Nov 16, 2019

There is nothing to "look up". Shift change is not the internet. You receive the information on your patient during report.

MunoRN, RN · Nov 16, 2019

If getting report on / looking up patients is part of your shift, why are you doing it before your shift starts?

yournurse · Nov 17, 2019

On 11/15/2019 at 3:35 PM, AlmostThere19 said:
The assignments at my job are never made in time to look up patients before the shift starts. Is it like this everywhere? I can't stand going in not feeling prepared.

Do not worry about it. You have 12hrs to get to know your patients.

AlwaysLearning247, BSN · Nov 17, 2019

Once you get more comfortable, you won’t feel the need to get there really early. Get report then look up medication/treatment times and plan your time around those. You can look up the rest of the stuff throughout the shift. Good luck!

JKL33 · Nov 17, 2019

The good news about all of this is that when you don't have time during your shift to really get a handle on how the piecemeal details you encounter here and there add up to a big picture, don't worry; chances are good the next nurse doesn't want to know the big picture anyway and is perfectly happy pretending that being able to look up a detail PRN means that they know whats going on.

Nickc58 · Nov 17, 2019

Totally disagree with some one the comments here. I work on a pretty high acuity intermediate floor and I’d be lost if I didn’t show up a little early to research my patients. Yeah I can get a quick history through shift report but I benefit from reading their admission notes, trending their labs, looking at past encounters, and reading the last nursing shift notes. I do not mind doing this 30 min before my shift because it allows me to do my job correctly

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · Nov 19, 2019

I always looked up what was going on with my patients....cause I never got a good report from the day nurses. Never trust no one. Cover yourself so you are ready for questions from a doctor , patient or family member. I found it very good for myself and people complimented me on that and trusted me more cause I KNEW more information than most people and they felt more comfortable and at ease.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 19, 2019

I am not coming in early to look up pts off the clock. I get what I need from off going nurse and then look up other information once I get started. There is plenty of time to find out what I need to know after I swipe in.

I really don't understand people that come in 30 minutes early for a 12 hour shift to "look up" pts., especially if you have the same assignment from the previous shift!

Closed Account 12345 · Nov 19, 2019

The previous poster who identifies this practice as a HIPAA violation is correct. You are not part of the care team 30 minutes before your shift begins; you're likely not even clocked in as a paid employee of your facility at that point. You do not have a need to know. And yes, it's common for assignments to be created, or changed, right up through shift change because patient acuity, admissions and discharge information, etc. is always evolving. Make yourself a helpful report sheet; learn to ask pertinent questions. (This does not include "When are her next meds due?" - Time management for your shift is your responsibility, not the outgoing nurse's.) Once you get report, do a speed scan of each chart for 2 minutes - allergies, medical history, scheduled procedures, labs - to make sure you have all key info correct. Write down times for scheduled meds on your report sheet. Go from there! It will get easier with practice.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Nov 23, 2019

I've gone in a bit early to read charts for all my career- thirty years and about ten hospitals. Yes people do it, and no, the hospital doesn't mind. It's not illegal, or I'd be in jail. Specific hospitals may frown on it, and I KNOW other employees don't like it for various reasons. It keeps me sane. Since I've been in the ER, I go through my assigned rooms to make sure emergency equipment is ready too, and its saved me several times.