Nurses that are late for report

Nurses General Nursing

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**vent thread**

Our hospital just put up a note that they would not be paying any overtime beyond 7:30 pm, and there are a few nurses on night shift that typically show up 10-15 minutes late for report. Last night, one of them even got snippy when I tried to hurry her along for report because she showed up 15 minutes late. (For clarity, I am not complaining about the person who is usually on time.)

You know, I always show up at at least 10 minutes early so I can print my labs, etc. before I take report, because I don't want anyone to have to stay late because I'm not ready, and I really don't understand why some people have no problem making ME stay late. It's so inconsiderate! Even if I were getting paid, I don't WANT to stay late. By the end of a shift, I am tired.

I hear so much complaining about the way doctors treat nurses, but honestly - I only interact with them for 5 minutes out of my day. It's the NURSES who tend to get under my skin! :angryfire

No overtime over 7:30? Honey, that's illegal. They aren't allowed to make people work for free. We are human, we are late. They must pay you the overtime.

I work in a LTC facility during the 6-2 shift. Oncoming shift supposed to be there at 145-200. This nurse is consistently 30-45 min late every day. It gets so frustrating. Then she walks in like she's on time. You actually have to beg this nurse to come in "early". What can you do. She doesn't even apologize for being late. :angryfire

Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.
I work in a LTC facility during the 6-2 shift. Oncoming shift supposed to be there at 145-200. This nurse is consistently 30-45 min late every day. It gets so frustrating. Then she walks in like she's on time. You actually have to beg this nurse to come in "early". What can you do. She doesn't even apologize for being late. :angryfire

:eek::eek::eek:

Its amazing to me the lack of work ethics some people have. Is the supervisor aware of this??? If so I would start making it really uncomfortable for that nurse everytime she chose to walk in late making comments such as " WOW Late again, you realize you being late is really causing problems for the rest of us here" and "so do you plan on being late everyday or just the majority of the time?". It may sound a little harsh but she obviously feels she is getting off easy make her a little uncomfortable for a change

I am just a student, but at one clinical site, we all collectively groaned knowing one of us would get this RN who came in late to report, always like 10-15 minutes late. Bad news when you have a tough clinical instructor. Anyhoo, when it was my fateful day, I tried to grab her when she finally got in so she wouldn't blow my schedule and found her making a smoothy in the break room!!! And then of course she spent my shift mostly MIA. I found her later whining and swearing to herself. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I am sooooo ******! Just because I was a little late somebody else took the patient I wanted! Now I have Mr. So and So, and he's a total care PITA! I replied back, "sometimes it's the early bird who gets the worm." I thought she'd nail me for that one, but she truely had no idea what I meant :chuckle

No overtime over 7:30? Honey, that's illegal. They aren't allowed to make people work for free. We are human, we are late. They must pay you the overtime.

And those who are late should get their pay docked. Even so, the organization is still out the extra half time.

If the tardiness is at all regular, a nice chat with the late one suggesting a search for a new job commence immediately.

Chronic lateness is one of those "little" things that has a detrimental effect on teamwork and morale that should be treated more seriously than it often is.

So many of you let other nurses walk on you. You are afraid to speak up and tell them they are causing you to leave late. If you don't say anything to them, they probbably think you don't care, if they think anything at all. Put aside your fear and speak up, very nicely. But be firm and clear and mean what you say.

You need to tell them that they need to arrive on time so you can give them report and leave on time. Tell them you will no longer get paid overtime to stay late and give report and tell them that you do not want to get in trouble or work for free. Tell them that you will be leaving on time and that they can have your notes if they like but that you will not be giving report past 7:30.

If you are afraid to do this, tell your Manager and let her take the heat by being the bad guy toward the "laties". Maybe you guys need to just tape report. that way, everyone can listen when they are ready and you can go on and get out on time.

:eek::eek::eek:

Its amazing to me the lack of work ethics some people have. Is the supervisor aware of this??? If so I would start making it really uncomfortable for that nurse everytime she chose to walk in late making comments such as " WOW Late again, you realize you being late is really causing problems for the rest of us here" and "so do you plan on being late everyday or just the majority of the time?". It may sound a little harsh but she obviously feels she is getting off easy make her a little uncomfortable for a change

If you do this, she's likely to get mad at you. Inform the manager what's happening and let her do what she gets paid to do. If that doesn't work, just tape your report, leave it with the boss, and go on about your business.

Don't you love it when: 1) the oncoming nurse shows up at 7:05 instead of 6:45. 2) slowly walks into the pantry to put her lunch in the fridge 3) Hangs up her coat and puts her lab jacket on 4) walks over to the desk looking for a report sheet 5) Then proceeds to question every damn little thing in your report. "What was the albumin level yesterday?". Thankfully I'm not at that job anymore. I feel your frustration, though! :yelclap:

She worked at my hospital too . . .. . but moved. Maybe to yours? ;)

steph

I can relate!

It seems to always be the same nurses every week. They come to report complaining about how tired they are, sometimes using morning report as an opportunity to eat breakfast and usually are not prepared, for instance not having an ink pen. Everyone is ready to get started and having to wait on them to arrive, after they finally arrive, we have to wait on them to find everything that they need.

It's very frustrating and is only a precursor of how the rest of the day will go.

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

We don't tolerate late. If they are late, we write out a report, give it to them when they arrive and then we clock out.

Specializes in DOU.
We don't tolerate late. If they are late, we write out a report, give it to them when they arrive and then we clock out.

I like this approach, but can't it technically count as "abandonment"? I mean, aren't we legally obligated to turn care over to another human being?

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

No, because they still hand off to each other, they just do not give a verbal report.

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