I would like to take a survey of sorts. This week was my first working with a preceptor in MICU. My shift starts at 11:30 AM and ends at midnight. Without fail, every shift this week, the 11:30 PM to noon shift comes in late, sits in the break room till almost midnight and THEN they come out for report. They are supposed to be relieving me at 11:30 PM so I can be out the door at midnight.
I am a new grad and don't dare say anything yet, but I think this behaviour is rude and inconsiderate. Is this behavior common in the places you all work? I sure don't appreciate being kept waiting to give report so I can leave after 12 hours of work.
What's your take? Am I too sensitive? Should I not rock the boat yet?
I would like to take a survey of sorts. This week was my first working with a preceptor in MICU. My shift starts at 11:30 AM and ends at midnight. Without fail, every shift this week, the 11:30 PM to noon shift comes in late, sits in the break room till almost midnight and THEN they come out for report. They are supposed to be relieving me at 11:30 PM so I can be out the door at midnight.
I am a new grad and don't dare say anything yet, but I think this behaviour is rude and inconsiderate. Is this behavior common in the places you all work? I sure don't appreciate being kept waiting to give report so I can leave after 12 hours of work.
What's your take? Am I too sensitive? Should I not rock the boat yet?
You need to speak up my dear. By saying nothing, you are letting her know that it is okay with you for her to get report late. You can also go into the break room and bring her the report. And just blend in that you want to leave on time while you are giving it to her.
Specializes in Orthopedics; Urology;Neurology; Med/Surg.
Hello all,
At the hospital unit that I work at everyday we have to "float" our nurses to other units in the hospital because we are the only unit adequately staffed and all the others are short. It is frustrating because say if i were working a 12 hour shift I would maybe take patients on one unit from 7-3 then have to wait for the next nurse to come in to relieve me, have to give report to that nurse, then have to rush and go back to my home floor for 3-7pm. It makes me late getting report from the nurse I'm relieving and visa versa. Last night i worked a 3-11pm shift and didnt get out until 12:15 due to having to wait for the nurse that was relieving me to get back to the floor from "floating" to another unit. Just wanted to share my input. Thanks.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I always come in 10-15 minutes before shift, it gives me time to get a cup of coffee, sit back and prepare myself mentally for the shift ahead. It is also a great way to see how the 'feel' of the floor is during the shift change...I can tell if it is going to be a rough day or not just by the looks of the nurses and the amount of folks around the nursing desk.
When I get my patients reports, I get right out and start grabbing the charts and scanning the kardex and medication times I will need to know. Then off to work I go. I hate it when people are late on me, so I won't do it to others if I can help it. Lucky for me this hasn't been an issue for a long time (thank you taped reports!).
If someone is late with report...I will hit the charts, read the nursing notes, and get myself caught up and we can catch eachother later. Same with my shift end...that is why I keep my nursing notes up to par so that if I am unavailable at shift change..they can scan those and know what is going on.
It is a respect and timing deal. Yeah sure things get very hairy at shift change...and sometimes it doesn't go too smoothly...but if you prepare for that by getting in to do a short report on tape and say "come see me", or read up on the nursing notes...you aren't sitting idle waiting and can get to work :). Adaptation and time management...ahhhhh what nursing is all about! LOL!
Specializes in rehab, antepartum, med-surg, cardiac.
The oncoming shift should show up on time, but the fact is that they often don't in most of our workplaces. As someone else mentioned, JCAHO has as one of it's patient safety goals communication issues (i.e., shift report, coverage for breaks, meals, etc.). Every hospital or healthcare facility has to address this patient safety goal in some manner. Ask your preceptor or the charge nurse to show you or explain to you how the hospital is addressing this mandate by JCAHO. Maybe that will get their attention. The oncoming shift has to be allowed time to ask questions after receiving report to clear up any issues that have been going on during the previous shift. It isn't an option to tape and just walk out at the time you are supposed to be leaving. Perhaps a stricter policy about being on time is something that should be looked at by your facility. Good luck!
JBudd, I disagree that habitually being tardy isn't important. As you said, your tardy habits bugged even you!
If someone relieves me late, I can't get to the babysitter on time and it winds up costing me $5 per minute, for each child, that I am late picking the kids up. Or maybe we are going out and the event we're going to starts at a certain time. My relief needs to be on time and ready to work by the start of her shift. That's all there is to it. Unless there is an emergency, a real one, not a semi-emergency, not a routine emergency, but a real, unforeseen, genuine emergency, it is only right to be on time and ready to work by the time our shifts start. In the OR, this means having changed into one's scrubs, too.
I have trouble getting out the door to go to work because I don't really want to go, I don't really want to leave my home. But I get there on time anyway. I arrive about 5 minutes early and carry my tired behind immediately to the report room by 0700 sharp, where I usually sit waiting for a while to get report. We do have coffee in there and I get a cup while waiting.
I know it's not easy to get kids to day care and pack a lunch, etc., but we just have to get into good habits.
I would wait patiently until they were good and ready to receive report from me. I would give it and whenever I ran past my scheduled shift I would claim overtime. When someone came to ask me about my overtime I would explain why I was being forced to work late.
I wouldn't do that...it is passive aggresive and toxic. Be upfront and polite, people will walk on you if you let them! Whenever people at my workplace complain to each other about people that are always late or calling in sick--I always say "good on them! If management will let them get away with working whenever they feel like it, then go for it!" It's the old, give 'em an inch thing.
If the night staff aren't on the floor by 2305 I give the key to the supervisor and just say, my relief isn't here yet, here's the key. And I talk to them when I see them--but honestly, sometimes they are always soooo late, I never see them! :angryfire
You know I just cant believe how comman in is to be late for duty and not even get so much as a 'sorry I'm late'. I have to say I dont believe it is as common in the Uk because the ward manager or deputy's tend to be counted in the numbers and the late commers are spoken to then and there and if it continues then a plan of action is discussed and agreed upon. Lateness of duty because of a late commer is such a negative feeling, nobody minds being late when they are dealing with a clinical emergency or when a member of staff has a genuine problem that prevents them arriving on time.
I know when I have finished duty I want to go home it has been a long night and I want my bed.
Late for report! Ha, I would be glad if that is all I had to deal with. My 7-3 nurse is NEVER done and out of there on time, my 3-11 staff is NEVER on time if they come at all. My 3-11 shift floats in and out all shift long filling in with one from 3-6, 5-9, etc. I would be sooooo happy if all I had was late for report.:balloons:
Ha! Here's one for ya...how about a nurse who calls from her cell to ask for report cause she's always late?
Glad I don't have to give it to her, but I did have one run in with her. She was 2 HOURS late one day, and came in and started to socialize with every CNA and resident in the place, and when I asked her if she wanted report, she rudly stated to me, "Well, everything I need to know should be written on the 24 hour board, right?" And asked to come and count, she refused, so I wrote a note to the DON and ADON, that she refused to count and I left...needless to say, nothing was done, cause I found out later, she was the DON's cousin! How convenient!!!! BLECH!!!
No, you're NOT being overly sensitive about getting a timely report. I WOULD say something once it's just YOU taking report. However, for now you don't have much choice but to bear it since your preceptor is chronically late. Her tardiness, by the way, is really rude and does not demonstrate good time management). It IS frustrating as many nurses can identify with this. I have a nurse who relieves me on occasion and usually shows up only 5 mins early (or, moe often than not, usually right on the dot.) I mentioned it once and she said "my shift doesn't start until 11pm!" My response was "yes, but MINE ENDS at 11pm--we need some give and take here!"
I would find the shift Charge RN and tell them you need to give them report now since the incoming nurse isn't available. I bet it stops.
I posted a similar post a week ago, I was told that although the union states the shift is 0700-1930 1100-1130 and 1915-0715 the night staff comes 15 minutes early so the day staff can leave 15-30minutes early every day. I used to arrive at 1905 and 1910 never later and was told I was late. Day staff arrives at 0700 as usual so we get out at 0715. The night charge nurse accepts this as do the days charge nurses in fact the day charge nurse leaves before the rest of the staff. last night was better I arrived at 1900 on the dot to find that the day charge nurse was finished giving report and was out the door. I am not a new grad nor am I on probation. but saying something is useless.So welcome to nursing where chronic lateness and early leaving is common
Thanks, you have hit the nail on the head! In addition.......my preceptor sometimes seems disgusted if I ask her a question when she is busy (and we are always busy) and is at times rude to me. I am going to have a heart to heart talk with her tomorrow night and ask her if she was forced to precept me. I am not going to make it in the ICU with her attitude. I am at the end of my rope...........
I hope your heart to heart went well. Unfortunately, when I was being precepted in the ICU I made a stink out of everything i didn't like and so they squashed me like a bug. They purposely made my life miserable and constantly humiliated me in front of patients, family, docs, residents, etc.
Better Plan: Get paid overtime every day you stay late. Go to several job interviews elsewhere and get job offers. Then, meet with your nurse manager and say: I would like to request a new preceptor. Tell her why. If she starts defending your preceptor, its over. You'll never win. Hand her your resignation letter and insist you'll be willing to work another 2 weeks as a professional courtesy. Your nurse manager will not want you to return, as that would waste money in the unit budget. So, Leave graciously and on good terms, for the reasons you stated. It wasn't a good fit.
If you do get another preceptor, try to establish a good working relationship with them. Tell them upfront you expect to interact in a professional and punctual manner, and be enthusiastic about the opportunity.
When you're on your own, then you can speak freely. But don't let bitterness over this stuff turn you into one of those really nasty nurses that writes everybody up for everything all the time. You don't want to go down that road. They all start retaliating and writing you up and next thing you know you'll hate work and you'll hate nursing.
Best advice: be competent, and expect that of others. If you're working in a unit where standards do not prevail, don't martyr yourself trying to change them. they WON'T. Find a really good facility and be a part of a ship that floats!
sayitgirl
210 Posts
You need to speak up my dear. By saying nothing, you are letting her know that it is okay with you for her to get report late. You can also go into the break room and bring her the report.
And just blend in that you want to leave on time while you are giving it to her.