Report etiquette

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Why are some people so inconsiderate during shift change? Don't start opening the computer and charting safety rounds in the middle of report when you know we have 7 pts to hand off and 5 nurses to report to. If you are coming on, don't start non urgent assessments, meds or whatever until you've gotten report on the other patients. The offgoing shift wants to leave! Does anyone else have coworkers with rude report habits?

Specializes in ER.

I start looking at stuff at my patients to get an idea. I can't wait forever to get shift report. If I don't get it within 15 minutes, I'll start doing whatever I have to do. It's easy to get behind in the ER. The patients don't stop coming in because it's shift change.

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Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
Why are some people so inconsiderate during shift change? Don't start opening the computer and charting safety rounds in the middle of report when you know we have 7 pts to hand off and 5 nurses to report to. If you are coming on, don't start non urgent assessments, meds or whatever until you've gotten report on the other patients. The offgoing shift wants to leave! Does anyone else have coworkers with rude report habits?

Not anymore, thank goodness. I did have one nurse who would start assessments during report, then complain to the manager that the report she got was inadequate. Maybe if she listened, she'd get a decent report.

I have another co-worker who will complain about something that happened the previous day, then complain she didn't get a decent report. Or the nurse who gives the off going shift report, instead of the other way around. It happens. I listen to report, and if it isn't decent I just dig through the charts.

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Specializes in Stepdown . Telemetry.

There is one nurse I work with, who has less than a year experience, who has the habit of interrupting my report and trying to take over by dictating questions. For example, I will start the head to toe with "he is A/Ox4, on 2L..." and I will be about to elaborate on their respiratory status..."he can get SOB and require 3L for activity..." but in the half second I pause to give this additional information, the nurse has interrupted my report by trying to take over the assessment.

Me: "A/O x4, 2L n/c...he also has..." ...INTERRUPT...

RN: "SR on the monitor?" ...OR even ruder..."Rhythm?"

Me: Please let me give you report, I was about to elaborate briefly on the pt's pulmonary status. I will address the rhythm.

I don't get this behavior. I can't stand the idea of passively letting her take over the report to receive information on her terms. I get if I were rambling on about something, a gentle nudge to keep me on track and allowing me to continue my assessment would be fine. But the impulse to interrupt and manipulate the report so that the oncoming is asking the questions and the leaving nurse is answering the questions is so annoying. Not sure if it is a nervous habit or a control-freak or what...just relax and listen/write things down. If I forget to mention the rhythm you can ask at the end, but chances are I won't.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Float Pool Nursing.

I don't take care of patients until I get report, so I don't mind if the offgoing nurse wants to goof around with her charting for 45 minutes before giving me report. I'm still getting paid, so I just play on my phone. And if a tech comes up to me saying "your patient wants this or that" then I tell them that I didn't pick up that patient yet, I didn't get report, I don't know anything about them, or what they're allowed to have, and to talk to the night nurse. That usually gets them going.

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