Shift Change

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I feel that change of shift is a tag team effort.

Last night, I had 8 patients, handing off to a new team that got additional help, they were receiving 6 patients.

Oncoming shift took their time, setting up their assignment.

I accepted a second admission @ exactly 2300. Stayed in the room, completed the paperwork.

To help, oncoming shift.

No nurse would help, I had to medicate 2 patients, talk to a family with concerns, that developed, At shift change.

If I would stay until all issues were addressed, I would still be there!

Ideas, appreciated.:confused:

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Specializes in post-op.

It does always seem that admissions and all other things happen at shift change. When an admission comes at that time, I usually settle the person, get VS and let the oncoming nurse do the rest. It is a 24 hour business and I would not expect a nurse to stay to do those things if I was the oncoming nurse. YOu have to draw the line somewhere or like you said you would still be there. If I had all the tasks you suggested above, I would have spoken to the family and possibly medicated those 2 pts if it were a PRN.

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Specializes in Oncology, LTC.

I know how you feel-- I used to work PM shift, and would get dumped on all the time. Now that I work days, I ALWAYS stay to complete my tasks along with every detail so that the oncoming shift can focus on the patients. If an admission comes at 1430, I take it and complete it, even it means staying over.

My biggest pet peeve working PMs was when I received report for a patient that I had never had before, and the day RN would say "He has been discharged, here is the paperwork. Just give him the discharge instructions and he can go". Um, ok?

Going along with the thread, during shift report, if the NOC RN is having trouble with patients that I will be receiving, I always offer my help, because then I can get report faster!

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

We have a rule that if the patient comes in the last 30 minutes of a shift, the rule is to just set up the patient (all our equipment, if SCDs/CVP monitoring, etc), get the vital signs, and if there is any stat orders work on those. Otherwise, it goes to next shift. Maybe they should enact some sort of similar rule?

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I just hate it when all h*** breaks loose right at shift change...never fails.

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define shift change...

some nurses think shift change starts at 4pm...and then i get the pleasure of noting and carrying out orders written 2 or 3 hrs before my shift...even stat orders...

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Specializes in LPN.

Don't get me started on shift change hassles. It all has to do with the person who is going off. Some are diligent and try, others save their problems and dump them all on you as soon as you get in.

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