Opinion re: getting a new patient at the end of your shift

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 16, 2005

When I precept I tell the nurses that if they get a last minute patient to tuck them in, get vital signs, go over the orders and beyond that do only what they can without having to stay late. The next shift will have to get an assessment anyway so scratch that. It's nice if you have time to do the history but if not leave it that is why hospitals have 2 shifts, or in your case 3 shifts. I never mind getting a new patient at the beginning of my shift. I'm fresh, I can easily handle it. I feel the same way about the new shift coming on. If they have a problem with it too bad. I just tell them I've done what I could and now it's time for me to go. Don't think of it as leaving work behind. It's not, like I said that's why we have other shifts!

dubs · Mar 14, 2005

So I've been a nurse for 8 years, right? And the WHOLE time that I've been a nurse, if a brand spanking new patient gets to your unit at the end of the shift (I had a patient arrive at 11pm and I work 3-11), you settle them in and the oncoming shift admits them. If you work for 8 hours and you do a good job and you're not a slacker... are you supposed to stay an additional hour to fully admit the patient??? I think NOT and I was wondering what others have to say on this. The nurse tonight was trying to make me feel guilty because I didn't do the complete assessment. AS IF she wouldn't have done the same to me. I'm a flex nurse and I float to all different areas in the hospital. I have nothing against anyone and I'm not trying to purposely put more work on anyone. I discharged 4 patients, totally admitted another... and she wanted me to do YET ANOTHER because she was planning to get several new admissions (who, mind you, had not had beds assigned to them yet). I told her that nursing is 24 hours. Don't ya'll know that if you stayed for as long as it took you to get everything perfect for the next shift that you would never leave the damned hospital??? PUH-LEEEEEEEEZE. I told her that she wasn't about to make me feel guilty and that I was leaving. The patient was stable, I settled him in, got his vital signs and he wasn't even a difficult patient! It would take her 2 minutes to do the damned admission paperwork. I worked my shift... tag! she was IT at 1130pm. Dammit.

DO YOU KNOW AS A THIRD YEAR NURSING STUDENT I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERS ME BEFORE I QUALIFY. NOW I KNOW THAT TO DO THIS JOB YOU HAVE TO BE DEDICATED AND I AM, HOWEVER WHEN YOUR SHIFT IS OVER IT SHOULD BE OVER WE ALL HAVE LIVES OUTSIDE THE JOB. I UNDERSTAND THAT PATIENTS MUST BE A VITALLY IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR LIFE AND FOR MOST NURSES THEY ARE BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT A LINE HAS TO BE DRAWN TO PREVENT THE OVERSPILL INTO YOUR PRIVATE LIFE AND UNFORTUNATELY THE HEALTH SERVICE IS PUTTING MORE AND MORE PRESSURE ON NURSES TO COMMIT MORE WORKING HOURS TO THE JOB. THIS MAY WELL HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON NURSE RETENTION AND POSSIBLY RECRUITMENT. SO IN MY OPINION YOU WERE RIGHT TO LEAVE THAT ONE PATIENT TO THE NEW SHIFT!!!!

ButterflyRN04 · Apr 9, 2005

Depending on how much time I have determines how much of the end of shift admission i complete. I work on a pediatric floor so parents are usually choc-full of questions the moment they arrive. As soon as they get to the room I introduce myself and tell them we are changing shifts and I take vital signs if we don't have a tech. I also print out reading material on their childs diagnosis and medications so they have an idea of what is going on by the time the next shift walks in. If the orders are simple, I go ahead and explain them as well, and before I leave the room I tell them the name of the nurse that will take care of them and that she will be asking them questions. This method has been appreciated by all the nurse I've worked with, especially those who expect you to do the whole admission interview. I think my method is even better than doing the admission interview. It gives the other nurse time to review all her charts, quickly check on the rst of her patients and then admit the new one.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2005

If i get a new admit at the end of the shift i try to do as much as i can but dont make myself go OT to do it. If it is after 6:30(i work 12's) i will usually settle them in, write a note about recieving patient and do as much of the paper work and computer stuff as possible. I give updated report to oncoming shift and let them do the physical assessment. I figure they have to do an assessment anyway for their shift so they may as well kill two birds with one stone.

ValerieB · Apr 9, 2005

:balloons:

If i get a new admit at the end of the shift i try to do as much as i can but dont make myself go OT to do it. If it is after 6:30(i work 12's) i will usually settle them in, write a note about recieving patient and do as much of the paper work and computer stuff as possible. I give updated report to oncoming shift and let them do the physical assessment. I figure they have to do an assessment anyway for their shift so they may as well kill two birds with one stone.

If I get a new admission at the end of my shift ( I work 12 hour days), I also get their vitals signs, orient them to the unit and write a note. It works both ways. I can't tell you how many times night shift gets an admission during the night and because it's late and the patient has been sitting in the ER a long time, the admission data base is left for me. I honestly don't mind doing it because the patient is now more awake and you can get more information than someone trying to do it in a hurry or on a sleep deprived patient. This is why we have shifts and it's a 24 hour :uhoh3: operation.

There are times and it depends on the day and what's going on at the end of the shift that I've started the nursing data base also. I don't usually stay over time to complete it. The next shift can do that.