Leaving written report at shift change?

[uptoRNin04]

Just wanted to know if anyone out there has ever been asked to leave a written report for the next nurse at shift change rather than a face to face? It was suggested to me that I do just that tonight at shift change since the next nurse was going to be late. I have always been led to believe that this constitutes patient abandonment. What happens if the pt goes bad before the nurse arrives? What if the nurse never shows up? I was asked to do this by the charge nurse on the next shift. My charge nurse, unit manager etc. had all gone home. I said I didn't mind staying. I gave report when she showed up. Just wondered what anyone thought about this? Is this legal?

[nfahren05]

At the past two hospitals where I've worked, we always give written report and also verbally report to the nurse taking over. There have been times when a nurse was going to be late and the charge nurse said to just leave the report and she would "listen out" for those patients until the other one arrive. This is her accepting the patient(s) until someone else comes to take over and therefore, they are not being abandoned.

We generally did this, too. Written reports are almost always better than verbal ones as the writer has had a number of hours to prepare (I generally started mine as early as possible, adding to it as I went along.) As the late arriving nurse, I would much prefer a written report, supplemented by any verbal update needed, to a rushed report by an offgoing nurse who was late and in a hurry to leave. Obviously, as is the concern from the original post, there must be willing charge RN coverage in the interim. Rarely would this ever be a problem, but if it became an issue, the offgoing nurse would have to stay; a written report left on the counter (in "limbo") is not acceptable.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

We have never had face to face report. Always written - now it is computer docoumented. We have several nurses who are always late - if they are coming on, I do not wait for them. As long as there are enough nurses from the next shift present, I leave.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

And what is the procedure to deal with those nurses who are proverbially LATE and then socialize, show pictures and go get a snack before starting work?

I've left written report with the charge nurse and made sure she apportioned my patients among her shift who DID bother to come in on time. As far as I know nothing was ever done about the latecomers.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

I understand how leaving the patient without a nurse is abandonment, but I have another question.

The OP said the charge nurse asked her to do this, so my question is, could she have given report to the charge nurse? And, if she gave report to the charge, and left a written copy of the report with the charge to have & pass on to the other nurse would that still be abandonment? Technically, the charge would have the patient assignment, no?

You are correct STACEY...if the charge nurse is given report (as should happen anyway), then it is understood that an equally trained person has been informed and is caring for the patient. There is no abandonment issue here.

[CHATSDALE]

i have to agree with the idea that the charge nurse is accepting responsibilty for the patient when she accepts the written report...taped reports are frequently given

sometimes a nurse has children to pick up or another job to go to and she can't wait on a nurse who is late for what ever reason legit or not

[AliRae]

I'm interested in the idea of written report as a standard thing. We don't ever do it ... the floors tape, and PICU and NICU give verbal report at the bedside. The only time we write is if the relief is late, in which case the charge covers your kids until the latecomer arrives.

When those of you from hospitals who always do written report write it out, what does it look like? Do you have forms or a certain format to follow? Please do share ... perhaps we could get a form together for our unit to use when people are late.

[mydesygn]

Just wanted to know if anyone out there has ever been asked to leave a written report for the next nurse at shift change rather than a face to face? It was suggested to me that I do just that tonight at shift change since the next nurse was going to be late. I have always been led to believe that this constitutes patient abandonment. What happens if the pt goes bad before the nurse arrives? What if the nurse never shows up? I was asked to do this by the charge nurse on the next shift. My charge nurse, unit manager etc. had all gone home. I said I didn't mind staying. I gave report when she showed up. Just wondered what anyone thought about this? Is this legal?

I guess I need a little more info. Every facility I have worked at does a written report, a written report is not unusual in the least, some places do taped reports. Are you saying that you were asked to leave a written report and NO ONE was going to assume care of your patients after you leave. If that was the case, it's not just abandonment but outright negligence. However, what usually occurs is a charge nurse (or another staff nurse) assumes care of the patient(s) until the late nurse arrives and that nurse hands off your written report to the arriving nurse. That's not abandonment since the charge nurse has assumed care for the patient. You would give the charge nurse a verbal report as well as the written report prior to leaving.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

Are you saying that you were asked to leave a written report and NO ONE was going to assume care of your patients after you leave. If that was the case, it's not just abandonment but outright negligence. However, what usually occurs is a charge nurse (or another staff nurse) assumes care of the patient(s) until the late nurse arrives and that nurse hands off your written report to the arriving nurse. That's not abandonment since the charge nurse has assumed care for the patient. You would give the charge nurse a verbal report as well as the written report prior to leaving.

At my last place of employment, there was a nurse I often had to give report to that was chronically late. You could bet she would arrive anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes after I was supposed to be GONE. We gave face to face report.

After complaining to management after about the 10th incident, my manager suggested that I tape or leave written report and JUST LEAVE :trout: He said he "would talk to her". The talking never happened and I was not about to leave two ICU patients without a nurse.

That, along with other issues, is why they are my EX-employer. It is also why I never felt bad leaving the job after 11 months of being a new grad

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We will write a report if someone is going to be late and then report to the charge nurse and go over what is on the sheet and if anyone needs something in the interim.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

Our ER faxes a written report before bringing a pt up, never call, and most of the time all you get is admission diagnosis and vital signs. And they think that's OK........

Oooooh Ooooh....I HAATE THIS PRACTICE!!! Our ER is ALWAYS doing this, and thinking it's okay. Then we call and want specifics...what does this kid sound like...how are his pulses, et cetera...and we get nothing. Half the time you can't ever actually even find the nurse who cared for the kid. When a nurse transports the kid up it's usually "oh, I'm not the nurse who cared for this patient." :angryfire

[MARIAN202]

There Is A New Standard

You Must Be Available To Be Asked Questions After The Report

This Includes A Taped Report

[MIA-RN1, RN]

ugh I HATE written reports! We usually do them face to face but the other day I came in to have two patients assigned to me that were cared for by a nurse who left two hours earlier! The 'written report' started off with a scrawled "Sorry this sheet is so messy" and got worse from there. Pt #1 was to be d/cd but needed several things accomplished first, so I basically received a messy and disordered list of things to do. Pt #2 had nothing updated on Kardex, I was just kind of left hanging. Supposedly the pts were 'babysat' but nursing staff in general but in so doing, two meds were missed for pt #2 and Pt#1's infant didn't get any circumcision checks. You can BET I was upset and I wrote up the errors. Thankfully the pts were okay but it really started things off wrong. Two hours...give me a break!