Night shifters and AM report

[emilysmom,RN]

Hi

I am a new nurse and I am on nite shift 8hrsx4 a week. I have been trying to get better at giving report but I still su** at it. For example last nite I got report and wrote everything down had a very busy nite a few pts had meds with peramiters every hour and about 10 at 6am and a ER admit at 6am. I did not get past med history on 2 of my pts one was for sure leaving today. AM nurses asked what past med history does she have? I was not given it and was too busy to do alot of research. Again with another pt I did not get past med hist and was asked. I feel so stupid but I was so busy I only had 15min to sit down. I think some nurses think all we do at nite is sit on our butts. I do try my best all pts were safe and given meds and I rehung IV's and did most of the new admit paperwork.

Will I ever get this nurse thing? I hope so.

[curlybear]

Hello! I am also a new nurse on a busy tele floor and work the night shift as well. We are also very busy most nights and I feel the same way about giving report to the am nurses. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time to sit and read thru the charts as much as I'd like to. I guess that will come with experience. Just continue to do the best you can, and don't worry about what others may or may not think of you. I'm sure you are a great nurse!:nuke:

[pRNss808]

I know EXACTLY how you feel! The other night, I had it so rough that everyone (including my manager) knew just by looking at me. I'm usually always smiley and cheery, despite how busy I get. So for this particular night, it was that bad. I think that the other shifts don't understand how nights can be very difficult. We don't get the back up (unit clerks, more CNAs, etc.) like they do. If I'm not busy with patients (which is hardly ever), I'm researching charts to prepare myself for questions that day shifters are going to ask. Majority of my RN brain is notes for them. I can understand if it's a patient that's been newly admitted the previous day. But when I get patients from previous days, a lot of information I have told in previous reports to RNs aren't mentioned thereafter. So when I get asked about that particular information, I don't remember the exact H&H. These nurses I give report to literally "roll their eyes" and say something passive agressively and I feel stupid, dumb, etc. If the other shifts knew how busy nights can be. As for me, I've been oriented and worked on all shifts in the past 9 months that I have only been working as an RN. So I have some understanding for other shifts. Do they?