Just a little night shift venting about day shift...

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2009

Dayshift was doing that to me, and I've got school (working on that RN), and you know, you can't be late. A couple always were coming in at 0715 with their coffee, calling to make sure the baby daddies had their respective kids to their respective schools, and they weren't ready to start listening to the recorded report, much less "have any questions?" until almost 8. I started leaving on time, with a "call me on my cell if you have a question." That stopped it cold.

The only way to win is to stop playing the game.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Jan 23, 2009

wow....we clock in....10 unexcused tardies and HR has you take the long walk down the hall.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2009

Dayshift was doing that to me, and I've got school (working on that RN), and you know, you can't be late. A couple always were coming in at 0715 with their coffee, calling to make sure the baby daddies had their respective kids to their respective schools, and they weren't ready to start listening to the recorded report, much less "have any questions?" until almost 8. I started leaving on time, with a "call me on my cell if you have a question." That stopped it cold.
The only way to win is to stop playing the game.

Nicely put. Sort of Shakesperean.

The only way to win the game is not to play the game. :bugeyes:

Eh, thats more.......Yoda. :specs:

hikernurse · Jan 24, 2009

wow....we clock in....10 unexcused tardies and HR has you take the long walk down the hall.

Maybe it's a NICU thing...:). If we aren't at work before 0700 or 1900 we are late and if it is 0700/1900 and we haven't shown up, they are calling us to find out where we are. Most are getting report by 0645/1845.

I think it is partly related to management (and we do have great managers) and they're willingness to make a stand on it. Partly, though, it is peer pressure. Nobody wants to stay late to wait for their replacement. If it's 0700 and your replacement hasn't shown up, the CN takes report and waits with your babies. If nurses are even going to be five minutes late, they call. It's an expectation of the job that you'll be respectful of your colleagues; including their need to get home.

I've worked in other units where report is completely chaotic, people arriving late and unprepared to take report, the earlier shift busy and not coming in to give report, etc. It makes a hard start for your shift.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Jan 24, 2009

I worked night shift for 3 1/5 years and I encountered the same thing. I now work dayshift and I remember what it was like on nights so I make sure I have respect for them as I expect the same.

When I was on nights...when morning came and the dayshift nurse didnt come to me to get report, I would have to chase her down (she would already be assessing patients). Finally, I stopped doing that. If she expected me to wait for her, then she could forget it. I would let her see me looking at her, then I would leave. One time was all it took. We do tape record our report, but afterward we go to the nurse and do a "hands off" and ask any questions or tell them if anything has changed since we taped. So it wasnt like I was leaving without giving report, but after being up all night, I needed to get in bed. I will NEVER forget what night shift was like. Dayshift is bad too in a different way, but nightshift messes up your entire body and sleep rhythm.

hikernurse · Jan 24, 2009

i worked night shift for 3 1/5 years and i encountered the same thing. i now work dayshift and i remember what it was like on nights so i make sure i have respect for them as i expect the same.
when i was on nights...when morning came and the dayshift nurse didnt come to me to get report, i would have to chase her down (she would already be assessing patients). finally, i stopped doing that. if she expected me to wait for her, then she could forget it. i would let her see me looking at her, then i would leave. one time was all it took. we do tape record our report, but afterward we go to the nurse and do a "hands off" and ask any questions or tell them if anything has changed since we taped. so it wasnt like i was leaving without giving report, but after being up all night, i needed to get in bed. i will never forget what night shift was like. dayshift is bad too in a different way, but nightshift messes up your entire body and sleep rhythm.

you are so totally right. i go home wiped after working all day and if i have to work the next day, all i want is pajamas and bed, but when i worked nights i had to add sleep deprivation to the mix. i needed sleep immediately. it is very thoughtless to not come to work ready to work.

i wonder if day shift sometimes feels that night shift gets more downtime to chat with fellow nurses...but having worked nights i know the patient ratio is usually quite a bit higher (with more patients added at 2300 who need to be assessed, etc.) and you hit the ground running when you get there. we also had a lot more paperwork.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2009

I worked night shift for 3 1/5 years and I encountered the same thing. I now work dayshift and I remember what it was like on nights so I make sure I have respect for them as I expect the same.
When I was on nights...when morning came and the dayshift nurse didnt come to me to get report, I would have to chase her down (she would already be assessing patients). Finally, I stopped doing that. If she expected me to wait for her, then she could forget it. I would let her see me looking at her, then I would leave. One time was all it took. We do tape record our report, but afterward we go to the nurse and do a "hands off" and ask any questions or tell them if anything has changed since we taped. So it wasnt like I was leaving without giving report, but after being up all night, I needed to get in bed. I will NEVER forget what night shift was like. Dayshift is bad too in a different way, but nightshift messes up your entire body and sleep rhythm.

In my experience, you are sooo the exception. Most nurses I know, if they were the gabby types to beging with, go from bashing daylight to bashing nights when the make this change. Good for you for being wiser to it then them. Nice to see somebody develope sympathy for other shifts instead of joining the herd and bashing every other shift as though the hospital exists strictly for the shift you happen to work.

Do I give the impression this is a pet peve of mine? It is.

queenjean · Jan 24, 2009

I appreciate the day shift nurses who understand that night shift is also difficult. Thank you.

In my facility, lateness is not isolated to one shift or the other. And I agree, it is a management issue to an extent, but one that peer pressure does a lot to curtail. When I charge, I call out anyone who is late. As in "Jean, it is very important that you are here on the floor by 6:45 and ready to take report by 7." I'm not trying to be a *****, I'm not trying to make them feel bad, I'm just letting them know the expectation. I'll say it every time, and if I've had to say it more than once, I'll shoot off a little email to my manager, letting her know it's a problem.

If someone isn't ready to give me report because they are charting, trying to finish up their tasks, or running their mouth, then yes, I will go and assess my pts. I'll let them look for me; I don' t have time to sit and listen to their gossip or "wait just a couple of minutes to let me finish this note." You go right ahead and chat or chart, but I'm going to get some of my stuff done. If they ask why they couldn't find me, I'll be blunt--I was tired of waiting for you to finish your conversation, or your charting, or your dressing change that you decided to do at 6:55. I'm ready to get report at 7, and you are supposed to be ready to give it then, too. If you aren't ready, that's your problem, and I'm certainly not going to make it mine by waiting around for report and then hitting the floor late. I've said this twice now, but honestly, it doesn't seem to do much good.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2009

I appreciate the day shift nurses who understand that night shift is also difficult. Thank you.
In my facility, lateness is not isolated to one shift or the other. And I agree, it is a management issue to an extent, but one that peer pressure does a lot to curtail. When I charge, I call out anyone who is late. As in "Jean, it is very important that you are here on the floor by 6:45 and ready to take report by 7." I'm not trying to be a b*tch, I'm not trying to make them feel bad, I'm just letting them know the expectation. I'll say it every time, and if I've had to say it more than once, I'll shoot off a little email to my manager, letting her know it's a problem.
If someone isn't ready to give me report because they are charting, trying to finish up their tasks, or running their mouth, then yes, I will go and assess my pts. I'll let them look for me; I don' t have time to sit and listen to their gossip or "wait just a couple of minutes to let me finish this note." You go right ahead and chat or chart, but I'm going to get some of my stuff done. If they ask why they couldn't find me, I'll be blunt--I was tired of waiting for you to finish your conversation, or your charting, or your dressing change that you decided to do at 6:55. I'm ready to get report at 7, and you are supposed to be ready to give it then, too. If you aren't ready, that's your problem, and I'm certainly not going to make it mine by waiting around for report and then hitting the floor late. I've said this twice now, but honestly, it doesn't seem to do much good.

That is exactly what I am talking about, right on the nail. "Call out" the individual not the entire rotation.

Even if tardiness is more frequent with one rotation as opposed to others, you should still use this approach. My rational for this is: Is it fair to damn a whole shift ever? Imagine, night shift has its 15 rotating regular nurses. Say, 10 of them are chronicly tardy. Is it fair to Bunch in the other 5 who are respectfull about showing up and getting report with the one's who are not? I dont think so.

I've seen it happen too. My first manager ever didnt have a lot to do with night shift. When something was not to her liking on that shift, she held a meeting for the whole shift. So, say the issue was someone not performing pain reassessments.........for the 3 or 4 who were blowing off their duties to hear that they'd better start doing it, 13 nurses who were diligent with their documentation had to spend an hour of their day sitting in a room listening to management gripe about documentation. So not fair.

A few nurses who were not the one's being called out in meetings left, were tired of hearing about how bad their work was, when......the topic of the meetings were never directed at them.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Jan 24, 2009

Workers need to realize that it takes all shifts to make a floor run. Nightshift has different things to deal with, like sun-downers and pulling IVs/foleys out, patients who cant sleep and are in pain, sleep deprivation, etc. Dayshift deals with surgeries, pre-op, post-op, dealing with families/docs, getting up early, etc. Both shifts have their differences, but both shifts have their benefits/negatives. We all need to work together so that we all can have a smooth shift and get home on time. When one is not doing their part, then they need to have it pointed out to them and reported if needed. One bad egg can make the entire dozen feel rotten.

I have noticed how some play that "nightshift against dayshift" routine. Right before I went to days, one dayshift nurse would say things to me like "you just wait, once you come to days you will see what its like to really work" or "be prepared, dayshift is nothing like nightshift, patients dont sleep", etc. She used to work nights and I still cant believe how she has forgotten what it was like. Ive been on days now for about 8 months, I feel better physically because Im not flip-flopping back and forth from days to nights on my days off. Really, we all have issues with every shift, we all need to work together.

I encounter the same problems you guys are talking about where I work.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2009

I agree that it is terribly rude. We had a policy on our floor that eliminated some of your problems. They dealt with being late on ANY shift and were held accountable and everyone needs to be ready for report at 7 unless you have a crisis with a patient.

otessa

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 25, 2009

I agree with the other posters that chronic lateness is a product of poor management. I address this with the perpetual offenders (after trying the direct "speak to them" route) by detailing on my paysheet or exception sheet for payroll every time I clock out late "Clocked out late d/t J. Doe RN late for shift" or "J. Doe RN unavailable for report until 0725". Payroll department will eventually force the manager to address this if you have a paper trail.