Shift Report: Listening, no writing...

allnurses Guide · Sep 26, 2018

We are moving hard toward a paperless floor and report is to be given at the bedside utilizing the EMR. I wager she is an auditory learner and that she then reviews the chart, which solidifies what she learned from you verbally.

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2018

I have seen some nurses never right anything down. Everything is in the chartAlso, if there was every a court case and it was noted that things were written on a piece of paper that has PHI on it, it could be used,. Some nurses save those report sheets or report journals - those could be used as evidence.

I was never a huge fan of writing things down all the time as when I looked at the chart there would be mismatches. This nurse could likely just want to hear the overview and then check the charts.

cleback · Sep 26, 2018

We also write progress notes that should technically have everything that you would include on report (barring interpersonal patient quirks that you wouldn't want in the legal record). So it's not unusual where I work to not take notes or sporifice notes.

MunoRN, RN · Sep 26, 2018

I never right anything down during report. One reason is that if I just listen, I don't need to have anything written down, but also if my brain is occupied by writing things during report then for whatever reason I don't remember them nearly as well, so then I'm dependent on that piece of paper, which I will inevitably lose at some point. Also, I'm looking for the 'story' in report, not necessarily the details that make up that story. I don't really care if the potassium level was 4.2 or 4.3 for instance, it's WNL, or if it's 3.0 or 3.1, I just need to remember it's low and I need to replace it, etc.

It was the same when I was in school, I did far better in classes once I stopped taking notes and just listened.

humerusRN, BSN · Sep 26, 2018

Regardless of what you tell me during report, I am going to go over everything for myself in the chart anyway. :) We pass kardex's like it's 1984 in my hospital, which cuts down on the writing anyway.

Medic_Murse, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 26, 2018

I use to write things down, but quit doing it. Everything that is said is in the patient summary of our EMR. I come in early, see which patients I have, read the summary, MAR, and notes. I use the handoff to ask questions based off of what I've read.

RoseRyan · Sep 26, 2018

I never write anything down in report. A lot of my coworkers act like it's the craziest thing they have ever seen. My view on it is this, if you're speaking to me, I should be looking at you and listening to you. If you're focused on writing everything down then you're not listening to what I'm saying. And I hate being told to stop or slow down or to repeat myself because a person is trying to write down everything I say and then report takes twice as long as it should. When someone has their head down on the desk pounding down on a piece of paper that's when I feel that I'm not being listened to and my report is falling on deaf ears. I know it's not for everybody. I'm an auditory learner and I've been doing this for a long time, and being in the ICU it's a little easier to remember everything about two patients as opposed to five or six. Your report is definitely not wasted. If the nurse was looking at you and listening, not playing in the phone or zoning off into space then don't worry, she got what you saidí ½í¸Š

Ackeem, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Sep 26, 2018

I wish my floor was like that

There's some nurses who come in and expect you to tell them a whole epistle when everything is literally in the computer.

mtmkjr, BSN · Sep 26, 2018

I remember when I worked in NICU, back in the dark ages of paper charts, I did not feel the need to write as much, because it was all there on paper in front of me. Now in a floor setting, with 5-6 patients the brain sheet that I start in report is my lifeline, and keeps me from clicking thru multiple screens to find the info I need throughout the day.

And the redundancy of double checking the chart helps me to retain, and to organize and mentally prepare my mind for the day.

mtmkjr, BSN · Sep 26, 2018

I never write anything down in report. A lot of my coworkers act like it's the craziest thing they have ever seen. My view on it is this, if you're speaking to me, I should be looking at you and listening to you. If you're focused on writing everything down then you're not listening to what I'm saying. And I hate being told to stop or slow down or to repeat myself because a person is trying to write down everything I say and then report takes twice as long as it should. When someone has their head down on the desk pounding down on a piece of paper that's when I feel that I'm not being listened to and my report is falling on deaf ears. I know it's not for everybody. I'm an auditory learner and I've been doing this for a long time, and being in the ICU it's a little easier to remember everything about two patients as opposed to five or six. Your report is definitely not wasted. If the nurse was looking at you and listening, not playing in the phone or zoning off into space then don't worry, she got what you saidï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½

I made a brain sheet that I use so I don't have to write so much. I can circle and check and fill in blanks. I also try to write down what I can before report so I can focus more on new info/updates.

I know what you mean about someone not listening... I try to organize my report so I'm always following the same pattern and don't forget something. One nurse is notorious for spacing out during report. I just pause and wait for her to come back. If I don't, she'll be asking me to repeat myself. Grrr.

StrwbryblndRN · Sep 27, 2018

I generally do not write anything down, well maybe a few words per patient. I have paper/pen for those few details that I need to follow up. But it is the exception not the rule.

I really prefer the story. The pertinent details are in the chart.