Recieving pt report question

[MuleMarine]

Quick question regarding recieving report from other units. Currently there is a power struggle between management. In the past our Cath lab has had tech's call report to the RN's in the ICU. Although the RN's in the ICU don't feel comfortable with it, is has been standard practice. Now our ICU management is putting thier foot down and forcing the Cath lab to have an RN call report. The cath lab is furious and not conforming. Anyway, to make a long story short is there a standard of practice or JCAHO recomendation, or any other sort that recommends communication of report from one profession to the next? Thanks.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

I dont get it. Mgmt says all report must be called in and recieved by an RN. So that is the rule, sorry if cath lab doesnt like it, you didnt make the rule-mgmt did.

At my facility only RNs can call report to another RN. Same with orders only RNs are to take Dr orders. Every great now and then a nurse will ask a tech to call the Dr for a routine order but that is few and far between.

[StrwbryblndRN]

I would not accept report from anyone but who is actually responsible for the patient. Not that the tech may not be capable but they do not hold the responsibility.

I have never heard of anyone else giving report other than the the nurse of the patient.

[MuleMarine]

We in the ICU tend to agree with your posts. But we're the stepchild of the hospital, usually forced to conform to appease everyone elses needs. The Cardiologists in the cath lab don't understand our concern and usually take issues above our management to appease the needs and concerns of their staff. We've called our state board of nursing and we're finding some good information. Our preliminary findings state something along the lines of RN to RN and no less. I'll keep you posted.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I THINK (without looking it up, sorry) that report is supposed to be

RN to RN per JCAHO standards (maybe recommendations, I don't know)....

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Same professions need to give report because they know what their profession needs to know. If someone who can't give IV meds gives report to the RN they are likely to miss IV related issues. I have taken report from docs by times, but even then, they don't address nursing issues and it makes patient care rougher while I get information from the patient that I could have gotten in report. Don't address it as a higher/lower license issue, it's a continuity of care issue. If there is an RN in the cath lab why can't she give report?

[Katnip, RN]

I THINK (without looking it up, sorry) that report is supposed to be

RN to RN per JCAHO standards (maybe recommendations, I don't know)....

TJC is looking very carefully at handoff communication. We're going through this as well, and our consultants told us that nurses are to report to nurses for patient handoff, whether it's between facilities or between departments.

It makes no sense to me that a tech can call and give report on a patient, especially a critical patient.

[Christen, ANP]

I agree with the above - for the safety of the patient, an RN should be giving report to an RN.

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

i agree it should be licensed person to licensed person. the policy in our institution is RN to RN, however, when i work on a step down unit we have very good LPN in charge of care with an RN covering them for orders and IVP meds and communication with the docs.....often times these nurses know more of the intimate details of the occurances and it seems less optimal for an RN to give report if the LPN was taking care of them.

[Vito Andolini]

We in the ICU tend to agree with your posts. But we're the stepchild of the hospital, usually forced to conform to appease everyone elses needs. The Cardiologists in the cath lab don't understand our concern and usually take issues above our management to appease the needs and concerns of their staff. We've called our state board of nursing and we're finding some good information. Our preliminary findings state something along the lines of RN to RN and no less. I'll keep you posted.

So why doesn't your Medical Director go over the heads of the Cath lab staff and go head-to-head with the Cardiologists? :argue:

I can see it now. A boxing ring set up in the Auditorium or cafeteria. cards duking it out with ICU docs. Love it.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

It should be RN to RN report. The only time we don't get RN to RN report is when the pt comes directly to our unit from the OR and wasn't recovered and we get report from anesthesia. The report isn't much and you spend the rest of your shift figuring out what you need to know. This is the only exception that I know of. I would never receive report from a tech in the cath lab.