Lack of communication....This is NOT RIGHT!!!!

[cute_cabbage2005]

I work 7p-7a. Last night I got a patient from a nurse who was leaving at 11pm. He didnt bother to tell me I was getting a patient from him and didnt bother to give me a shift report. The charge nurse who assigned this patient to me didnt bother to tell me that I was getting this patient either. I find out that the patient was mine at 130am by the PCT who was reporting a sky high blood sugar. I was LIVID!!!! Nurses on that floor tell me that its my responsibility to check the shift assignments at 11pm and that is my responsibility. At that time I was running around like a chicken trying to keep up with my patient care.

This is NOT RIGHT. I feel the charge nurse and the exiting nurse could at least tell me that I was getting this patient. The exiting nurse just left a telephone shift report and then took off. What makes it more aggravating was this patient was in DKA and suicidal and I find out about it 2 1/2 hrs later from the PCT?????

This is a large floor in which I work in the back area and the charge nurse works up in the front area. The charge nurse could have called my cell phone to tell me I was getting this patient (if she didnt feel like walking all the way to the back area where I was) and the exiting nurse could have told me I was getting a pt from him with a face to face shift report.

Im still fuming about it. Am I right to be angry? If something had happened to the patient it would be my behind that would of got nailed.

[NightshiftRN69]

Of course you have a right to be angry. You should report something like that to the nurse manager. Not only is it not sfe for that patient it's not safe for the other patients or you. I'll never understand how a nurse can leave without giving a face to face report, you can't ask a piece of paper questions. Would a nurse that does that type of thing like it if it were done to them.

[BinkieRN, BSN, RN]

Im still fuming about it. Am I right to be angry? If something had happened to the patient it would be my behind that would of got nailed.

A nurses shift is not complete until report is given and at that time the responsibility for the patient transfers to the oncoming nurse so I would think the behind that would get nailed would be his. I would talk to the NM and get this straightened out. If this nurse has done this once, there will likely be a repeat performance

[Kojak]

You had a patient for 2 1/2 hours that you didn't know about? You've just described one of my recurring nightmares!

You have every right to be angry. However wrong the practice, it sounds like this is the norm for your place of work. You can either try to change how things are done or change the way you do things and just make it a point to recheck your assignment at 11PM.

[Scrubby]

I would be absolutely furious as well!.

I would also write up an incident report on this because the patient was put in danger from the nurses who did not do a handover. No one should be put in this position because it is unsafe practice.

[CHATSDALE]

don't let this pass..it will only repeat itself

[loricatus]

I totally agree with the poster who said to file an incident report.

If you did not accept that patient, the patient is not yours. What BS about checking the assignment! That nurse abandoned the patient unless report was given to the charge nurse. Either way, this was a reportable incident that could have harmed the patient and had you defending your license.

[justme1972]

Makes you wonder where the charge-nurse's head is. Does that mean that if a nurse had to leave at 8:00 b/c they are sick or something that the patient just lays there without anyone checking on them until it's "time" to check the assignment list at 11:00??????

Huge patient safety issue....I 100% agree with the others.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

IF you ALWAYS get more patients at 11pm i could see that it would be your resp. to find out...and i would wonder if this was their childish way of making this point?....if on the other hand this is a sometime thing, then you should be called and informed..

[soulofme]

Of course you have a right to be angry. You should report something like that to the nurse manager. Not only is it not sfe for that patient it's not safe for the other patients or you. I'll never understand how a nurse can leave without giving a face to face report, you can't ask a piece of paper questions. Would a nurse that does that type of thing like it if it were done to them.

Well, if the departing nurse doesn't have the desire/time for a face to face report...think about their care for their pts...or lack of!!!!

[squirtle]

New nurse here, just wanted to say that first... but I agree with many of the other posts that an incident report should be completed... the pt was unsafe for 2 and 1/2 hrs during the shift. This is just another incident that proves that the voice mail system for leaving shift report is not the way to go, in my opinion. I have seen nurses leave on time after giving their voice mail shift reports and the nurse covering the next shift arriving late, I have often wondered who takes responsibility for the pt during this lapse of time. When 11pm assignments change I always see the charge nurse walk around the floor and tell those nurses to expect the change... this usually occurs around 10:30 when they receive the staffing report. I wonder if it is possible that the nurse thought the charge nurse was making you aware and then left because it is policy to leave voice mail report? In any case, there was a complete lack of communication and you have every right to be livid, scary situation!

[SA Girl]

It was very wrong for the nurse before you not to say anything to you before leaving but isn't it your responsbility to find out who your patients are? Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know how it is done in your department. Since you were there at 7p you could have check the assisgnment chart and the if by 11p the nurse that was leaving had not spoke to you, maybe you could have spoke to that person before they left and all of this could have been avoided. I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers but just another way of looking at the situation if this is the norm for your department.