This is NOT what shift report is about!

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I work my tail off to take care of my patients. I give everything I have during my 12 hour shifts. But it never fails, at shift report you bet the oncoming nurse will find something to criticize me about and make me feel like crap. “Shift report” is just another name for “let me interrogate you and make sure you didn’t leave me not one single thing to do for these patients - also let me get a kick out of informing you of every single thing you did wrong during your shift.” Nursing is a 24 hour job people.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Sorry you had a rough shift and a rough handoff.

Bullies will be bullies to the extent that we allow it. It's fine for them to ask you questions. If they are doing it unprofessionally, address it.

"Your tone sounds angry. Please hold your questions until I am all the way finished and then we can address them."

If they ask if you got to something, you simply say that you didn't if you didn't. Their attitude about it isn't yours to carry, unless you were somehow negligent (ie: not giving blood when it was ordered). If you know you did the best you could, internalize that and leave it all at the door as you go.

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Few times I've come up against this I make sure I do not portray being stressed by it. If they ask petty questions just for the sake of questioning I say something short like, "No clue." or "No idea." or "I don't know." One (door side report) nurse was fond of wandering into the room to either check things or begin doing some assessment things...I would stay put for about 30 sec. and if they didn't come back out to resume report I'd let them know I was moving on to catch up with so-and-so (a different nurse) to give her my report and then I'd check back to see if they (first nurse) were ready for report yet.

They can only make you feel like crap if you let them. Don't let them. If a true oversight is uncovered during your report, take responsibility and try to correct it or take care of it as best you can -- pleasantly say, "I forgot to do that. I'll take care of it before I leave; thanks for the reminder." Other than things like that, just refuse to participate in whatever trouble they hope to start.

I don't challenge these people verbally right off the bat; it isn't my personal preference since I believe they're looking for some kind of reaction from me, hoping to see me get frazzled or something. I prefer options that leave them little room to argue or offer additional commentary. And most give up quickly when they don't get the reaction they're looking for.

Basically, keep your cool and decline to participate in games. Just stay calm, unimpressed, unperturbed.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

There might be some deliberate cattiness in play, or it may even be unintentional.  Chances are, some of them are arriving at work already stressed by what they anticipate.  Anything left for them to do just stresses them out more.

I know you try to have everything wrapped up by shift change.  When you give report, let them know what you have completed and  what you didn't get to:  "I got abc done on the new admit but I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to xyz."  It's a nice touch to sound regretful but if they tsk and roll their eyes then lose the regretful tone and be more matter-of-fact and unapologetic.

If they want to generate a lot of negative energy at shift change that's their problem.  You don't have to get any on you.

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I feel ya. I had someone relish in finding something to admonished me over something. I apologized fixed it and moved on. What do you know, I find the EXACT same thing she criticized me over. All I got was a shameful ums, well. No one is perfect and things at times will be left undone for various of legitimate reasons that is unavoidable.

 

I really don't like that "it is a 24hr job" comment. What does that mean does your duty end at 8hrs into your job or 4hrs? I know some who will literally won't check on their patients 4hrs before their shift end. I try do a last round at least an hour before my shift end and if time permits a quick one after that.

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Since you're a nursing student you probably just followed a nurse who hates following students and was going to judge any student and is suspicious of students.  Turn it around, take it as a learning it experience. Cause the one thing that you think is caddy might save a patient's life and your license.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

So am I a bully if I a cosistently get a bad report from a coworker who reports off to me? I am talking about imporatnt stuff here. Sure I can look it up and mostly do but there's a point where it becomes dangerous to the patient!

Hppy

 

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16 hours ago, DesiDani said:

I really don't like that "it is a 24hr job" comment. What does that mean does your duty end at 8hrs into your job or 4hrs? I know some who will literally won't check on their patients 4hrs before their shift end. I try do a last round at least an hour before my shift end and if time permits a quick one after that.

I'm not sure what your question means.  Why would a duty end 8 or 4 hours from the end of the shift?  Your duty continues throughout the whole of your shift. There are 24 hours in a day, and if you didn't get to something on your shift, the next nurse can do it on his/her shift. This doesn't mean you don't TRY to get everything done that you can, but sometimes it's just not possible. 

If there are unfinished tasks, you politely give the oncoming nurse a heads up.  Sometimes there will be a med that's ordered close to change of shift, and you didn't get to it, either because you were busy or pharmacy hasn't sent it up yet.  Maybe there's a dressing change that needs to be done today at some point, but you didn't manage it.  Maybe there was an issue you called the doctor about, and are waiting to hear back, so oncoming nurse will have to look for those orders to implement. Sometimes you just can't get a doctor to do anything about a patient issue, so the next nurse will have to follow up.  Night interns are notorious for not wanting to change anything, so unless a patient is dying, the night RN is often left to pass off the problem for the day RN to bring up with the day team.

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10 minutes ago, hppygr8ful said:

So am I a bully if a cosistently get a bad report from a coworker who reports off to me? I am talking about imporatnt stuff here. Sure I can look it up and mostly do but theres a point where it becomes dangerous to the patient!

Hppy

 

I'm not sure where you're getting that from this thread.  I haven't seen anyone calling anyone a bully for asking legitimate questions.  There are people who ask for clarification or details because it's something basic they need to know, and others who ask to nitpick and criticize the offgoing nurse.

Asking, "when are his dressings due to be changed?" is non-accusatory and can prompt the nurse to say, "oh, I did those this morning, so not til tomorrow." Or say, "I wasn't able to get to them, but they're due today at some point."  Asking, "did you forget to change his dressings?" is accusatory, as might be rolling eyes or sighing loudly if the task hasn't been completed.  It's both about how the question is asked, and how the nurse responds to the answer.

Sometimes I find myself asking a bunch of detailed questions, and I'll stop myself and say something like, "I'm not trying to interrogate you here. If you know the answers, great, but if not I'll find them out."  This is especially true when I ask about a patient's plan because discharges are on my time, but they're not something the night RNs have to deal with, so it's great if they know, but not surprising or blame-worthy if they don't.

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1 hour ago, turtlesRcool said:

I'm not sure what your question means.  Why would a duty end 8 or 4 hours from the end of the shift?  Your duty continues throughout the whole of your shift. There are 24 hours in a day, and if you didn't get to something on your shift, the next nurse can do it on his/her shift. This doesn't mean you don't TRY to get everything done that you can, but sometimes it's just not possible. 

If there are unfinished tasks, you politely give the oncoming nurse a heads up.  Sometimes there will be a med that's ordered close to change of shift, and you didn't get to it, either because you were busy or pharmacy hasn't sent it up yet.  Maybe there's a dressing change that needs to be done today at some point, but you didn't manage it.  Maybe there was an issue you called the doctor about, and are waiting to hear back, so oncoming nurse will have to look for those orders to implement. Sometimes you just can't get a doctor to do anything about a patient issue, so the next nurse will have to follow up.  Night interns are notorious for not wanting to change anything, so unless a patient is dying, the night RN is often left to pass off the problem for the day RN to bring up with the day team.

I mean that some, not all  will use that as a reason to literally stop checking on patients a few hrs into their shift. Blowing something off that is

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1 minute ago, DesiDani said:

I mean that some, not all  will use that as a reason to literally stop checking on patients a few hrs into their shift. 

Well, that's just laziness, and it doesn't even make sense with the quote.  If nursing is a 24-hour job, the patients deserve a nurse for 24 hours.  If you're not taking care of them for 4 hours of your shift, then the most those patients can possibly get is 20 hours, and even less if the other nurses are being lazy, too.

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That would 4 out of 12. So for 8hrs and sometimes more, no care. Seen it.

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