One Nurse doesn't want to give me report!

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 28, 2008

there is this one particular nurse, that doesn't like to give me report, when i ask her if there is anything she wants to tell me, she says "did u look at the report sheets?" but everybody else she gives report to. even when i try to give report to her she looks down and will try to walk away from me if she can get away. i asked my preceptor about this and she said that's how she is, she's been here for 15 years, just leave her alone. i told her, i refuse to run after her to get report. right now, we don't have a nurse manager and the director favors the veteran nurses. any suggestions to avoid a scene?

it's both a patient safety issue and a legal issue. you are required to get report or if you have not gotten report, you haven't officially accepted the assignment.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2008

I've been a manager. Even though you don't have an officially appointed manager, the director of nursing has another manager overseeing the management issues of your unit. If you have to, go to the director of nursing and report this. She needs to know about the behavior of this nurse. It is a safety issue. I would write it up in a business like memo so it is in writing and dated, so it is documented. That way, the DON and the new manager coming along will know there is a problem with this lady. The fact that everyone knows she does this isn't a reason to let it slide by. I wouldn't. You could always report it to a supervisor if one of them is around when you are on duty. Supervisors cover for managers who aren't around.

lunden · Sep 29, 2008

sounds like this nurse may be a little jealous for whatever reason. there is no excuse for her behavior. she needs to be reported because this situation is going to cause serious harm to a pt because of something she did not tell you or because she's not willing to listen to you.

NurseBrittney · Sep 29, 2008

I have a secretary that often does not make copies of my orders, even though she does for everyone else. She also has yelled at me, rolls her eyes at me often, and is downright rude.

When I asked around I was told "thats just how she is".

Well I go out of my way to be considerate to people at work, and I expect the same amount of respect in return. Went to my nurse manager and she no longer does this anymore!

loricatus · Sep 30, 2008

All you have to do is write a narrative on your notes that goes like this:

Assumed care of patient at 0700, no report received from outgoing nurse, Snotty RN X 3 attempts. Pt found in room to be...........

Has worked for me to get things like that resolved because managment like you describe so despises it when you successfully CYA, especially when charting 'pt found in room'-this line also works well when you get dumped on while attending to another patient.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2008

all you have to do is write a narrative on your notes that goes like this:
assumed care of patient at 0700, no report received from outgoing nurse, snotty rn x 3attempts. pt found in room to be...........
has worked for me to get things like that resolved because managment like you describe so despises it when you successfully cya, especially when charting 'pt found in room'-this line also works well when you get dumped on while attending to another patient.

ha! ha! ha! that sounds like a good idea, but i have to tell you that if a chart like that ever gets into the hands of a lawyer where a lawsuit is going on and the entry is relevant, they will use it to their advantage and both nurses will find themselves in the middle of the lawsuit. it might make you feel satisfied to chart that, but it is not a good idea to air dirty laundry in the chart in that way. what goes in the chart is supposed to be about the patient and not about snotty rn's, the manager's or the nursing unit's short comings--much as you want it to be. ha! ha! ha!

loricatus · Sep 30, 2008

ha! ha! ha! that sounds like a good idea, but i have to tell you that if a chart like that ever gets into the hands of a lawyer where a lawsuit is going on and the entry is relevant, they will use it to their advantage and both nurses will find themselves in the middle of the lawsuit. it might make you feel satisfied to chart that, but it is not a good idea to air dirty laundry in the chart in that way. what goes in the chart is supposed to be about the patient and not about snotty rn's, the manager's or the nursing unit's short comings--much as you want it to be. ha! ha! ha!

the advise i gave was given to me by an attorney. it is especially relevent to the common practice in the er where a patient is put into a room, in a particular nurses district, without the nurse being told about the patient being placed there.

i ran into a situation where i 'found in room' a patient who was having an active mi. i was just going into what i thought was an empty room to get a supply i needed and found the patient, with the curtain closed (a sign that we used to let housekeeping know that a room needed cleaning). an inquiry was later made and the hospital attorney said that my charting protected me from the pending lawsuit because it was about the patient and the care (or lack thereof) he received. after that, the practice of patient dumping suddenly stopped.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 30, 2008

The advise I gave was given to me by an attorney. It is especially relevent to the common practice in the ER where a patient is put into a room, in a particular nurses district, without the nurse being told about the patient being placed there.
I ran into a situation where I 'found in room' a patient who was having an active MI. I was just going into what I thought was an empty room to get a supply I needed and found the patient, with the curtain closed (a sign that we used to let housekeeping know that a room needed cleaning). An inquiry was later made and the hospital attorney said that my charting protected me from the pending lawsuit because it WAS about the patient and the care (or lack thereof) he received. After that, the practice of patient dumping suddenly stopped.

Where I work, I've been told to chart what was found -- "Pt found in room 000, states, 'I got here about 20 minutes ago and I've been having chest pain ever since.'" Charge nurse informed. Pt. vss: t,p,r,bp, sats, wt, pain level. Treatment. Effect. Followup with doctor."

While I was doing all that, the Charge nurse would be informing the Administrator and a whole lotta incident report would be flying on the nurse who failed to give report as well as the transporter who failed to inform me of the patient's arrival.

That's a Very Big Deal in my hospital. Hence, I've never had it happen to me.

I would not chart anything about the nurse, the lack of report, or other extraneous information in the chart itself, but I might mail a note to myself about the incident in addition to filing a big incident report about it.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2008

i want the option of asking questions about the patient and what occurred on her shift. i don't care if she has been there 100 years i need this information to care for these patients properly. i wont accept the assignment until i get the report i need or i might just grab her phone number and call her every time i need clarification on a issue...

WindyhillBSN · Oct 1, 2008

Thanks for all of the advice. I just got unsolicited advice from a nurse that is leaving, she said that she waits til' you've been there for 6 months, and then gives you report. Once again stating "that's how she does everybody." :no:

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2008

This nurse sounds like a real wacko- Does a buzzer go off in her head when a new nurse has been there for 6 mos, and tell her "Ding ding! she's been here for 6 months, you can start giving her report.":uhoh3: :bugeyes: