So I am having an issue with giving a particular nurse report. The problem is that she expects the reporting nurse to "spoon feed" her every minute detail beginning with circumstances surrounding reason for admission up to the current time. She's expects this from everyone, not only me and it's well known throughout our unit that if you see that you're giving report to this person, you know you will not be leaving on time.
Some of our patients have quite lengthy stays and are very complex, depending on their circumstances and you can imagine where it then becomes tedious to review every single thing/test/lab/etc that has occurred.
Recently, as one example, she was receiving three patients and another nurse had started giving her report on two of those patients. I also had to give report on three patients; I gave report on two of mine to another nurse in fifteen minutes. I go over to where the nurse who takes forever is getting report and wait for about ten minutes. Finally, I say something like, "all done?" or "You ready for me?" and I am told they have just finished report on ONE patient. So it's now 25 minutes into the half hour we have to give report and I am expected to wait likely another 20 minutes to even begin. The nurse giving her report kind of rolled their eyes as they know how it is.
I know that the charge nurses and manager are aware of this but everyone accommodates her repeatedly.
My question is....how can I put my foot down and refuse to stay over every time I give her report, based solely on the fact that she asks a million nonpertinent questions, interrupts constantly and wants to be informed of every little detail? I would like to say to her, when it's time for me to leave and it's obvious I'm not going to get done anytime soon (or haven't even begun yet), "I have updated the report sheet....any further questions can be directed to the charge nurse as I have obligations at home and I must leave on time today." Of course I would notifiy the charge nurse also. I don't want to to be accused of patient abandonment.
"Ain't nobody got time for that!" Haha....I had to. Please tell me someone knows what I'm referring to.....if not, google that phrase and watch the video. It's funny :)
I love Sweet Brown! This phrase is said at least once every day by me or one of my co-workers. Remember what she said ? "Now I got bronchitis......Ain't nobody got time for that!"
Haha, I know one of these too! I have no advice for you, I just try and take it in good humour and since I work at an ICU with a SAFE nurse to patient ratio, it's significantly less annoying to only have to hand over one patient. We have a really great computer program which takes all the patients most relevant information and brings it onto one screen which I normally read from for handover and it makes me laugh to watch this nurse try and rapidly write down everything that is already written on the computer word for word. These people typically have really poor time management skills, which is why they need to know every detail - they don't have time check the chart because they are too busy wasting time.
I agree about the poor time management skills....there are a few who are always frazzled and running around in circles when I arrive, yet always have a "honey do" list for me of tasks they were just "too busy" to get to."Too busy" doing what???
"Ain't nobody got time for that!" Haha....I had to. Please tell me someone knows what I'm referring to.....if not, google that phrase and watch the video. It's funny :)
Since you have to deal with this nurse, here's something to cheer you up
I like a complete report. I agree, there is no reason for one shift to have to stay over just for report, but at least where I work it is common for days(I work nox) to show up to the station at 5-10 after the hr- they have to get thier coffee, argue about assignments, and gosip about whoever isn't on today. 15 past, and just 15min to give report on 2 critical patients, and all I hear is "Hurry it up, I don't care about all that." Strangely, I find the patients HIT panel shows they are in acute Heparine Induced Thrombocytopenia when I come back on 12 hrs later- but you just gave the SQ heparin because you were in too much of a hurry to listen to what labs were pending and what needed follow-up. 9 times out of 10 the reason I get or give a short report is because the nurse following me or that I'm following wasted time set aside for handoff. This should never be a rushed operation. It has been shown over and over, hand off is the biggest source of errors and breakdown in patient safety. The patients deserve a full 30min of report. This MAY NOT BE THE CASE WITH YOU AND THIS NURSE, but I have almost never had patient I couldn't give a dandy report on in 10-15 minutes-leaving me another 10-15min to cover the next one.
I know what you mean & it drives me absolutely, freaking, batspit crazy. Especially if they handed off the same pt. to you previously.
Or they start asking you questions about issues you haven't gotten to. What really puts me over the edge is the ones who design their own special preprinted sheets. I think they are more interested in filling in every line in the exact order it occurs because you tell them something basic & a second later they are asking about it. Or they aren't listening to anything you are saying because they are too busy thinking up questions to ask. Or they think they are a nursing instructor in clinical pre-conference, asking questions to see if you know what you are talking about. Whatever the reason, it's maddening.
What helps me somewhat with the preprinted sheets is, I look at their sheet as I am talking & address elements as they come up. This cuts down on me having to say the same thing 3 times. Many times, I have wanted to say "Shut up & pay attention" but I haven't, because that wouldn't accomplish a thing.
One other thought-I agree with the posters who said these people tend to be lazy. We used to do group report with the nurses & the PCTs & that took forever. Wasn't hard to figure out, with the night nurses (other than the one reporting) & night PCTs out on the floor, the day staff were stalling as long as possible so all the breakfast trays were passed before they ever got out of report.
Thankfully, we don't do group reports anymore. The good staff complained long enough that it wasted too much time & you were behind before you ever hit the floor.
Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.
Again most shifts are designed for a 30 min overlap. So if you only have two patients in ICU that is fifteen minute report per patient. If you have four patients then you have 7.5 minutes per patient. Now I know that not everything will always work out this perfectly but it gives you the amount of time that should be allotted for each report. Yes I realize how important patient off is but if hospital and I have experienced every type of hand off there is.. tape recording,pre-printed forms,verbal face to face and bedside rounds. I still prefer face to face and with good communication skills and organization it can be accomplished in the allotted time frames for the most part. If I got behind I would give report so I did not delay the start of shift for someone else and then I would go back and finish my task(s),
Haha, I know one of these too! I have no advice for you, I just try and take it in good humour and since I work at an ICU with a SAFE nurse to patient ratio, it's significantly less annoying to only have to hand over one patient. We have a really great computer program which takes all the patients most relevant information and brings it onto one screen which I normally read from for handover and it makes me laugh to watch this nurse try and rapidly write down everything that is already written on the computer word for word. These people typically have really poor time management skills, which is why they need to know every detail - they don't have time check the chart because they are too busy wasting time.
We have switched to bedside report and this has eliminated a lot of these problems. I wonder if other people that do bedside report continue to have these same problems or if they have improved?
We tried bedside report, it only lasted a short time and fizzled out soon after.
If I was the manager I would be inclined to say that both the off going and the oncoming shifts would receive write ups for going beyond the allowed report time frame. Maybe a few write ups for miss slow poke will change her style.
it's blown up really big
Cuddleswithpuddles
667 Posts
I am just curious. How does this nurse give report? Is she at least as thorough and detailed as she expects others to be?