Should have never gotten out of bed.

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Should have never gotten out of bed. Got to work and nothing went right. Please tell me you've had these days? You know, the days that everything spirals out of control. Somehow I managed to get everything done after a day of nothing going right and par for the course ~ the one nurse who loves to hand me my a** in report is the nurse that follows me on this day that nothing went right. She tries to hand me my a** and although she really has no ground to stand on manages to talk down to me the whole entire report.

I guess my main question is how do you tactfully handle the kind of nurse that won't let you give report. They just keep firing questions in a condescending manner that starts to feel like they are not interested in report, just in proving that I'm stupid?

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

Oh yes....i have had those types of shifts, and have dealt with those types of RNs. Not what you need after a crappy shift, that's for sure!

In one instance, I had to give report to a RN that sounds very much like the one you describe; asking questions in a condescending tone. I stopped report, and just point blank asked her " Is there a problem with how I am giving you report? " She continued with her sarcastic tone, didn't answer the question, so as I turned to walk away I replied that I would be back when she calmed down and was ready. This method didn't help her attitude, but by the time she caught up to me, I had witnesses to how she was speaking to me, and they intervened on my behalf.

Other RNs with this kind of attitude, I will just interrupt the bazaar of questions, with " would you prefer this method of report? You ask and I answer?" And just carry on from there. OR just ask "is there a problem? you seem upset/angry/irritated/etc..."

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

It's really hard to redirect someone like that without making the situation worse. I stop them by pointing to my cheat sheet (which is systems oriented) and say that I need to do my report in order so I don't miss anything. If the person continues to ask questions about a body system that I'm not covering, I point to my paper and say "I'm on cardiovascular now, I'll get to that in when we get to that system". I try that with a smile, but after 12 hours, who really has the energy? lol

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

Those types of nurses--I work with a lot of them in my current unit. They are very condescending. They ask me the most ridiculous questions that I think are useless to know about a patient. They make it their mission to find mistakes. I could be as busy as a bee, and when they get report, they talk to me like I didn't do jack sh*t. I admit, transfer, and discharge patients. On top of that I have fingersticks, med pass, STAT orders (labs, 12-lead, bolus, drips, etc). By the end of my shift, the unit will be filled with patients. Orders and admits are already done. The next shift has hardly any admits--they even rotate who has to admit since most of them has the max number of patients already. It's gotten so bad once, I had to talk to the RN about her actions--she wasn't listening to me. I had to sit in my manager's office to discuss her behavior.

Be confident when giving report. You know your patients. I agree with the above post. Sometimes I would say "I will show you the pertinent labs after I tell you about this." If you don't have an answer to what they're asking you, you can say "I don't know, let's look at that together." A lot of these nurses are intimidating you because they think they can. Don't give them the satisfaction. Keep your poise. If you feel like speaking with your supervisor or manager about a certain nurse, please try to talk to the nurse first.

Regarding the RN I had to speak to my manager about--We are now good co-workers. She didn't treat me how she used to. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the other RNs from her shift.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Tell her not to interrupt you until you're done.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

relax dear, it was fullmoon last night :clown:

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Don't know how you might finesse this, but I watched this happen when I was a student.

The RN was a float from another hospital in the same network. I'd worked with her before so I new her to pretty much just get down to work. She was giving report and the oncoming was being a Pita. So she stops report and says something like, "Look, what's up with you today?! it's 0700 and you gotta get started, and I gotta get going! So CUT IT OUT, OK???!!! Thing is this response is just what it is, telling the person not to whine and just do her job so that everybody else can do their job too.

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Read straight through and don't acknowledge the garbage...

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
relax dear, it was fullmoon last night :clown:

oh good so that must explain why my night sucked and both my patients were crazy. I actually had a tug-o-war match over a pulse oximeter!

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Specializes in Neuro, Cardiology, ICU, Med/Surg.

There's a nurse on my unit who used to be brutal in report when I was still pretty new, and I had reheorificed something I was going to say to her the next time she was flagrantly disrespectful to me, but she had been this way to several other nurses and had been witnessed doing this. Nurse director spoke to her, and she has made an about face and is much more pleasant to work with... So I never had to use my line with her. But the line went something like this (there were a few variations):

"You know , I'm still pretty new to nursing. I'm not perfect -- I do make mistakes, and some things don't always get finished by the end of my shift that more experienced nurses can get done. But I do my best, and I think I am pretty good at what I do, given how long I've been doing it... And I deserve to be spoken to respectfully. When you use that tone in speaking to me it makes me feel disrespected and marginalized and I would appreciate it if you would address me with some respect. Thanks."

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I have a nurse like that, I always say " (fill in name here) please let me finish giving you report then I will be happy to answer any questions you may have."

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Specializes in MED/SURG.

I had an experience in healthcare as a unit sec. before I became a nurse dealing with nurses and other unit secs who where back stabbing and rude.One night I had a nurse literally throw a bagged specimen cup full of liquid stool at me. It landed on the desk in front of me. Hmmm I thought this nurse is a bit of a loose cannon.She watched as I kept calm as if nothing happened,I picked the specimen up, and sent it to the lab.Later she apologized profusely several times.I often wonder how it would of turned out if I just let rip what I was really thinking and feeling? Anyway I geuss my point is to never let it rile you and maintain your own dignity. As a nurse I have also dealt with giving report to the impatient constant questioning RN.I did not handle that one as well because I allowed her to totally disrupt me. I went home feeling terrible like I had let the patient down who I was trying to report on and vowed never to let that happen again. Thanks for all the helpful tips in previous posts!! I will remain calm but wont remain silent next time!

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