Shift change report in your facility???

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

How does your facility handle 'shift to shift' reports?

I just started working in a rural hospital medsurg unit and we 'tape' report. This seems entirely inefficient to me, and i thought 'tape recorders' were a thing of the past.I hate it!

Just curious to know how other units do it - I am going to try to advocate for a new system. Thanks

[HonestRN]

We do verbal report and at shift change all the nurses are reporting off and some patient care gets put off until report is over. The last facility I worked at did taped report. I think taped is good because it ensures someone is always on the floor during shift change because as we all know, patients seem to suddenly need something at shift change.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

We do written - via the computer.

Occasionally, if there is a lot going on with a patient, we will do a quick verbal.

I like the written. One of the nurses that follows me is always late. This way, I leave right on time and don't have to wait for her.

Also - if I can't remember something, or want to double check, I can look back. And - as the report is on the computer, I can go back days or even weeks if I want to look at past reports.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

'taped' report seems so inefficient to me - and a waste of time - b/c ALL the nurses are listening to report on ALL the patients....it seems logical to me that you only need to get report on YOUR patients. I hate talking into the tape recorder.....aren't they obsolete anyway? I got criticized for talking to slow.

I just wonder how many units (if any) still do it this way?

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

We do verbal and look at the computer charting during the same time, this way we can pull up labs, look at xrays, see Drs orders etc etc etc..everything is right there and it actually goes very quick.

if the pt is critical and on many gtts/ vent settings etc we do a physical report in the room at bedside. Personally that is my prefrence.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Taped at my old hospital.

Verbal and walking rounds at my current one.

[Magsulfate, BSN, RN]

Taped report should be going out of style. I can bet you that soon, JHACHO will be making a rule against it.

What if you have a question about a patient that the nurse didn't put in the recording? The nurse is gone and you have no idea. Of course you can dig through the chart, but that takes so much time.

Verbal reports are the best and even going from room to room while giving report is the best. It gives a chance to the oncoming nurse to see the patient and it gives the outgoing nurse a chance to catch something she might forget to tell the nurse.

[NurseKatie08, MSN]

We do verbal report on my unit, because we then have to count narcs with the off going nurse.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

Taped report should be going out of style. I can bet you that soon, JHACHO will be making a rule against it.

What if you have a question about a patient that the nurse didn't put in the recording? The nurse is gone and you have no idea. Of course you can dig through the chart, but that takes so much time.

Verbal reports are the best and even going from room to room while giving report is the best. It gives a chance to the oncoming nurse to see the patient and it gives the outgoing nurse a chance to catch something she might forget to tell the nurse.

You hit the nail on the head. That is exactly what i am up against. There is hardly any contact with the next shift. every day driving home i remember something that i forgot to 'tape.' The problem is the NM and many of the other RN's here have never worked anywhere else and are afraid of change. I did suggest 'verbal' report to the NM and got a blank stare. I need to get the courage up to go to the next level!!

[RNperdiem, RN]

I'm not fond of taped reports either.

My unit does reports in person.

I can customize the report I give.

For example, I give only updates to the nurse who gave me the patient at the beginning of the shift when they return to work at 7pm. I would give a more detailed report to a float nurse or a nurse unfamiliar with the patient.

Some things are easier and quicker to simply show another nurse than to try to describe on tape.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Where I am now, we do face to face with the person getting the patients. I like it, but if the person gets there late or you have more than one person to give report to (happens often) it can be a bit cumbersome.

A place I used to work at taped report and then we (the offgoing shift) stayed around til after the oncoming folks have listened in case there were any questions.

Either way can be good or not so good. I definitely think there should be a time when you can ask questions, though.

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

... b/c ALL the nurses are listening to report on ALL the patients....it seems logical to me that you only need to get report on YOUR patients...

On our unit we have a north end and a south end, so we use 2 tapes; that way we only listen to report on the patients we are taking.

Taping saves me time, if I have time to do it. If I tape prior to my replacement showing up, then they can listen to report while I am still charting or helping a patient. However, I am normally trying to catch up and the nurse shows before I could tape, so then I give a verbal. The thing is then I have to count off narcs and we only have a 30 minute overlap.

I personally prefer verbal so I can ask questions, especially if I don't know the patients.