Shift change rant

File for overtime.

Where I work, there's a box where you have to write in the reason for it and write in "relief nurse socializing. Did not give report until 6:30." When management sees that you are both being paid for the overlap and your pay is in OT, they'll quickly take a nice dump on miss social butterfly.

...and then you for taking advantage of the ability to burn hours doing nothing.

This needs to be addressed by your management.

At 6:01 you go up to them and ask "do you want to do report here or go sit down"? It is on them to be prepared to receive report on time, not on you to wait for them. They will let you wait as long as you let them get away with it. Every time someone is not prepared to take report on time send a memo to your nurse manager with the details. Also ask your manger to clarify in a written policy exactly what times report is to start if no such policy exists. Don't let them get away with it, that's how you stop it. They can stand around and gossip on their own time after report, not on your time.

"Hi, Nurse Chatty, good morning! We're going to have to get moving on report now, as I have to be out the door on time today. Actually, I really need to be out on time EVERY day from now on, but that won't be a problem as long as we start on time! Staying overtime is becoming a problem, and we can avoid that. Ok, so let's go do this thing...." :)

You don't have to discuss what the problem is in staying overtime, just that it's going to need to stop. Today.

It's funny to me how communication is so.......inhuman.....and foreign.......to some people.

They're people, not scary monsters or intimidating gods that can't be approached. Walk up to your relief and tell them you're ready to give report. If they ignore you either be more assertive or write a quick summary down, hand it to them, and leave.

Why is it so scary to go and make report happen instead of waiting for it?

Approach her at the desk and say "Did you want to do shift report here? I'm ready whenever you are, but I'm leaving at X time, so if you want details we'd better get going!"

You need to go up to them and say hey guys, I'm tired and want to get going, could you please come get report. Do it nicely. I have found being direct is the only way to go.

No need for "please" in this scenario. Professionals are ready to take report at the start of the shift. Seek them out, give report. Inform your manager that the oncoming shift is not available to take report.

I just walk up to the nurse and say I'm ready to give report whenever youre ready. Cuts down on them leaning back and chatting because they think I'm not ready. I've never had an issue with waiting for other nurses to stop chatting/gossiping, but if I did and telling them I'm ready didn't work is give them 5-7 minutes and say, are you ready to get report because I really don't like clocking out late and would really love to go home and get some sleep.

Yeah, but you can catch more flies with honey then with vinegar. You still have to work with these people, after all.

I didn't advise the OP to be rude or disrespectful (like her co-workers are treating her). I'm simply saying that I wouldn't go up to these people in a "rainbows and bubble gum" type of way and ask if they're ready for report. It's the start of shift, if they are there then they should be ready for report. Period.

The worst is when you have to do bedside shift report and the nurse insists on doing her assessment right then and there. Oh heckkkkk no.

I've tried the same, I reach early to relieve others but they are always late to get report...results, give them a hurried report and have them look up the rest themselves. I got family to get home to. I never sit at the nursing station, not during my shift and especially not at shift change. To light a fire you really have to bring it up with management let them mention it at a meeting...they will despise you but if you anonymous it may get results. I'm still a newbie on the job so I'm playing it cool for now as long as I get paid.

I did try to "walk up to nurse method" she balked at me talking about she still got 5 mins to look up her people...but she was just gossiping with other nurses. Next time I had her, she was charge and she totally forgot to give report on a pt to me, because I stopped hunting down people during shift change. The new charge ended up calling her back.

Its totally unprofessional for people not to be on time and just give the darn report then gossip after. Heck most of the times I listen to others give report they are yapping their traps about nothing to do with the patient. Its annoying and so unprofessional. Right now its the number 1 reason I beginning to dislike bedside nursing.