On our busy med/surg unit we give report to the oncoming shift in the hallways, usually at the med carts or where ever we can find some room. This can be frustrating at times (especially on day shift) at shift change because family members, patients, and basically anyone who needs a nurse at that moment sees us in the hallway "talking" and they think it's an appropriate time to interrupt us. Last night one of my patients was a one day post-op right hip replacement who was a 2 assist with a walker to stand and pivot to the bedside commode. The aid and myself got her out of bed twice together, so we both knew her very well and how she ambulated. Later that night this patient needed to use the bedside commode again and the aid wasn't available so I asked another nurse to help me. This time, I felt the patient did very well and could have gotten to the bedside commode with only 1 assist. Fast forward to shift change and in the middle of report, the patient's call bell goes off and the aid goes in to help her. The aid pokes her head out and asks if I can come in to help her get the patient to the bedside. I explained to the aid that I felt she was capable of getting her up with only one person because the last time I was in there she did very well. I have worked with this aid many times and I know her capabilities (which is why I felt she was able to do it without me), so I didn't think it was necessary to break away from report at that exact moment to help her. The aid was very irritated with me and went back in the room to help the patient, only later to approach me and say that what I did was wrong. I explained to her that the last time I got the patient out of bed she did better than before and I felt only 1 assist was necessary.
Was this wrong of me to tell the aid that she was capable of getting the patient out of bed? Maybe I should have interrupted the report to help her, but I really felt she was capable of handling the situation while I finished report.
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On our busy med/surg unit we give report to the oncoming shift in the hallways, usually at the med carts or where ever we can find some room. This can be frustrating at times (especially on day shift) at shift change because family members, patients, and basically anyone who needs a nurse at that moment sees us in the hallway "talking" and they think it's an appropriate time to interrupt us. Last night one of my patients was a one day post-op right hip replacement who was a 2 assist with a walker to stand and pivot to the bedside commode. The aid and myself got her out of bed twice together, so we both knew her very well and how she ambulated. Later that night this patient needed to use the bedside commode again and the aid wasn't available so I asked another nurse to help me. This time, I felt the patient did very well and could have gotten to the bedside commode with only 1 assist. Fast forward to shift change and in the middle of report, the patient's call bell goes off and the aid goes in to help her. The aid pokes her head out and asks if I can come in to help her get the patient to the bedside. I explained to the aid that I felt she was capable of getting her up with only one person because the last time I was in there she did very well. I have worked with this aid many times and I know her capabilities (which is why I felt she was able to do it without me), so I didn't think it was necessary to break away from report at that exact moment to help her. The aid was very irritated with me and went back in the room to help the patient, only later to approach me and say that what I did was wrong. I explained to her that the last time I got the patient out of bed she did better than before and I felt only 1 assist was necessary.
Was this wrong of me to tell the aid that she was capable of getting the patient out of bed? Maybe I should have interrupted the report to help her, but I really felt she was capable of handling the situation while I finished report.