I recently started a new job at another hospital. I've been off orientation about 3 weeks now. I had 6 shifts on the floor, plus general orientation. I'm going from computer charting to paper. And that's been a really pain in the you know what. Anyway, I've been interrogated during report three times, by three different nurses. I give the same report with everyone and don't always get interrogated. Most of the time it's an easy hand off. I have missed things, yes, but I am new to the facility and the error prone paper charting, things get missed. Does this mean I need to be treated rudely and delayed to leave? I don't think so, in my opinion.
My facility looks at time sheets and I don't want anyone thinking I'm lagging behind. Considering that I'm new to the facility, I think I'm doing pretty well, my patients remain safe and I am providing high quality compassionate care. I've missed some non critical things, doesn't everyone make mistakes, especially when they are new to a place?
I think part of it is the culture of the state I moved to, more rude people in general, so I'm trying to let it go, but I'm starting to get really annoyed by it. I may look younger than I actually AM, but I don't want to be treated like a 5 year old. Should I write out an SBAR or something? Reviewing orders is important at then end with a paper system, because things do get missed. At my last job, people were so friendly and helpful. There was no interrogation sessions during report. It was a way to ensure continuity of care, nothing more.
I'm considering talking to my manager about it. Not to name names, because I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble or cause drama, but really just want a standardized list of things that need to be communicated and that's it. I want to be able to say, I've told you the pertinent facts to the best of my ability, we have reviewed the orders and I am done and am clocking out.
Any thoughts? By the way, thanks for listening and any responses.
I don't think nurses should get a pass for passive aggressive behavior. I'm not a new nurse and have had this happen at both my jobs. I've had eye-rolling, sarcasm, outright tantrums with cursing(over a redundant paper we filled out for admissions that was eventually phased out when I'd been in a room all night with a particularly difficult patient), people wanting the minutiae of every detail of admission and history, etc, those for whom nothing is ever enough or good enough. Do you think management doesn't want to know their nurses are driving away new staff? Do you think the mean girls will not just continue acting like teenagers if no one calls them on it? This isn't high school. This isn't part of unit culture. I absolutely went to management and I got apologies and it has been better since. It's not doing anyone any favors to let behavior like that slide. What we permit, we promote.
I am well over 30 now do expect basic respect from nurses and physicians. I think what I'll do is write an SBAR, review orders and a brief bedside check on my patients and then be out the door. If they think my nursing care is lacking, they can take it up with management, because I am confident my care will stand up to any investigation.
I, nor pretty much everyone here, was not there when you gave report. Perhaps these nurses were being rude. I think they are just being annoyingly nitpicky--which is quite different than rude.
I agree that you always deserve respect, however, as a the new nurse on a unit (not an inexperienced nurse, just new to the unit), you have to prove yourself to your new colleagues. Again, not saying people should be rude to you, however, you are making it difficult to get respect with the attitude that you are out the door right away just because they want a detailed report.
There was a good thread called open up spoonfed report just a few months ago.
One guy said give it to them the way they want and get on with your life. I thought that was sage advice.
I am still years later annoyed when I think about a very ambitious knew everything in two years young nurse who grilled people in report. One day I had had enough and I said firmly "look I can only tell you what I know." I never had a problem with her again.
People like that are insecure.
What is really difficult is if you get a brief but adequate report from a laid back nurse and then have to report off to a person with OCD who wants to know everything right down to the size of the foley catheter.
We all have to cut each other a little slack. I may not remember the guage of every IV but I left you a pt with 5 good IVs and a BP and an order for a PICC.
I did the important stuff. Likewise if they have had a bad day, I tell them not to worry, 24 hour facility.
I have done this and do state everything everyone else is reporting in their report. My reports contain the essential facts that are required in any hand off. For example, I have stated that certain labs have been completed and then the nurse will check the chart and make sure they are done. That's fine, but do it after I am done speaking. Like you said it's the unit culture. I am used to a very team oriented welcoming environment. And some people have been very welcoming, just a few that are frankly kind of nasty. I am just getting too old for tolerating rudeness (often communicated in tone of voice and the way things are stated).
I am well over 30 now do expect basic respect from nurses and physicians. I think what I'll do is write an SBAR, review orders and a brief bedside check on my patients and then be out the door. If they think my nursing care is lacking, they can take it up with management, because I am confident my care will stand up to any investigation.
If the nurse stops to look up labs, and it's not a critical issue, just keep on trucking and continue report. It sounds like they enjoy intimidating you. Where I'm from it's rude to interrupt the nurse giving report. Remember to always ask if they have any questions.
When you receive report, show them the way to do it.
Listen, take notes. Always ask are they any abnormal labs or new orders that I need to know about. Every single time. Then say thank you. Go to the next pt.
This handover is when you have to establish a rapport with your colleagues. You can set limits in a nice way and they will back off when they know that you know you stuff and you are not easily intimidated.
If you find that you need to go to mgmt., don't do it too soon, for the reasons previously stated. Many times a person who legitimately takes a problem to mgmt gets labeled with being the troublemaker, while the real offenders get to continue with whatever offending behavior they were doing. Try having a conversation with the other party and working it out with them first. You might find that just having this conversation goes a long way to getting the two of you on a better working path.
The challenge that I have is with a nurse who has ADD or ADHD who can not sit and walks away as soon as I give her the name age and admitting diagnosis. It is incredibly rude.
The third time that she did that I put a copy of my notes on the clipboard and clocked out. I will not chase this person all over the ICU and listen to her ramble.
I tried to do it bedside, she was unable to focus and walked away.
Receiving report is painful. I let her ramble and flip through the chart for basic information and say thank you. I hate seeing her struggle because she is a nice person. Everything is a mess as you can imagine.
If anyone has a suggestion on how to deal with this, I would like to hear it. But I don't want to hijack this thread.
Specializes in Medsurg, Public Hlth, School Nurse, Acute Rehab.
I've found that those who ask the most questions during report are the ones who want you to spoon feed them their assessment so that they don't have to actually do one at the beginning of the shift. Most of what is asked can be discovered simply by doing a head to toe physical assessment. I started off hating bedside report, but when I realized that the questions during report decreased when the next nurse actually looked at the patient, I started to like it a tiny bit. There's always going to be that nurse who nitpicks though. No floor is complete without one. :) Don't take it personally.
I've found that those who ask the most questions during report are the ones who want you to spoon feed them their assessment so that they don't have to actually do one at the beginning of the shift.
I once had a nurse ask me everything--even the normals. "What is his edema like?" Well, there is a reason I didn't talk about. "On his cardex it says he had a UA 3 days ago? What did it show? Is it discolored? Smelly?" Again, I'm not going to mention negative parts of his assessment unless they are pertinent. "You said he is A&Ox3, but does he know who the President is? Does he know why he is in the hospital?" "I read in their history, they had cellulitis 4 years ago. Do they have any long terms effects from that? Are their legs discolored? What about edema?" Uh, we already went over this.
Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
I, nor pretty much everyone here, was not there when you gave report. Perhaps these nurses were being rude. I think they are just being annoyingly nitpicky--which is quite different than rude.
I agree that you always deserve respect, however, as a the new nurse on a unit (not an inexperienced nurse, just new to the unit), you have to prove yourself to your new colleagues. Again, not saying people should be rude to you, however, you are making it difficult to get respect with the attitude that you are out the door right away just because they want a detailed report.
I have to be out the door as fast as I can because employees will get in trouble for being late too much. I think anything more than one hour every pay period is really frowned upon.
While I am not above "proving myself" a competent nurse, I do not feel it appropriate to have to tolerate interrogation. That is different from wanting a detailed report. It is disrespectful to interrogate someone (the tone of voice, the "why did you do this, why not this" kind of stuff). Plus the interruptions of my train of thought when I am speaking makes report take longer than it needs to. It is polite to let someone finish their sentence before speaking and to let someone finish report before asking questions. Those are basic manners and because I am respectful of others, listen before asking questions, and am willing to pick up a little extra work if someone forgot something or if they had a busy shift (especially if they are new to the unit), I would like to get the same in return.
Like you mention above, certain things not pertinent, do not need to be mentioned, like normal lab values. All that should be said, if at all, is that the labs were normal.
I've gotten grilled on stuff during phone report to the floor from the ED; I have actually had to say "if you would let me finish, you would get all of that in order, without making me miss something by being interrupted". Things got a little better after that. I had one person start critiquing my report! (when we were sending a faxed written sheet ahead of time), and told me "well, so many of you are new down there I'm just trying to help you out, how long have you been there?" ans. 17 years. Total silence. Yeah.
Ultimately, it comes down to respect for the other's skills, going both ways. Just keep being amazing, and earn theirs. {{HUGS}}
sistrmoon, BSN, RN
842 Posts
I don't think nurses should get a pass for passive aggressive behavior. I'm not a new nurse and have had this happen at both my jobs. I've had eye-rolling, sarcasm, outright tantrums with cursing(over a redundant paper we filled out for admissions that was eventually phased out when I'd been in a room all night with a particularly difficult patient), people wanting the minutiae of every detail of admission and history, etc, those for whom nothing is ever enough or good enough. Do you think management doesn't want to know their nurses are driving away new staff? Do you think the mean girls will not just continue acting like teenagers if no one calls them on it? This isn't high school. This isn't part of unit culture. I absolutely went to management and I got apologies and it has been better since. It's not doing anyone any favors to let behavior like that slide. What we permit, we promote.