All I really want to hear in shift report is pretty much the basic patient info, precipitating reason for admission, areas of medical concern, meds & treatments, and current status.
I don't give a rat's rear if the reporter likes or dislikes the patient, thinks the patient acts like a two year old, or believes the hospital will not be reimbursed for services. (We just discharged a patient who had been there for 5 months.)
Ever get any useless information in your shift reports?
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 8/24/2019 at 2:12 PM, Orion81RN said:
Many nurses I've worked with in private duty state the tasks they completed. ...I'm thinking, "yes, you did your job. But why do I need to hear this?" I only want to know if you DIDN'T get to those things or if you found something out of the norm while doing those things. Other than that. Good for you? Lol. I don't get it.
As one of my competent coworkers said, "Around here, if you do what you're supposed to do, you're a rock star nurse!"
"Oh! You did an accucheck/monitored a BP before giving the insulin/antihypertensive?
Wow! You probably saved that patient's life by preventing a hypoglycemic/hypotensive crisis!
I'm not sure, but I think I'm looking at the next 'Nurse of the Year'!"
You've heard the old, "If it wasn't charted, it didn't happen". Orion, you probably work with competent nurses who do their job and want to prove it in shift report. I work at a place where it's believed, "If it's not discussed, it means it may or may not have not have occurred." I need to hear that the nurses did their job. I want to hear every detail of them doing their job.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
49 minutes ago, Davey Do said:
Gwad, I could tell you stories...
Talk about useless shift information! Okay, here's one:
I was charge on two busy 12 hour MN shifts dealing with five 1:1's, an admission, behaviors, a therapeutic hold, forced medications, a couple of medical concerns, a worthless pulled med tech, and disgruntled patients & family members.
Eleanor, my work wife, picked up eight hours, 2300-0700, Saturday. She and a PRN nurse, who has a full time job as an RN instructor, walk into the NS. Eleanor asks, "How's it going?" I say something like, "It's been busy! I've been dealing with five 1:1's, an admission, behaviors, a therapeutic hold, forced medications, a couple of medical concerns, a worthless pulled med tech, and disgruntled patients & family members!"
So Eleanor sits down, picks up a patient information sheet, finds a pen, and is poised for report. The PRN nurse/RN instructor asks, "So, Eleanor, how's your nine year old?"
I internally explode. EVERYBODY knows that asking Eleanor about one of her kids opens the floodgates to long-winded, detailed (albeit extremely entertaining) narratives!
"NO", I say, looking at PRN nurse/RN instructor, "I AM GIVING REPORT!" Eleanor senses my frustration and replies, somewhat in a whisper, "I tell ya later". I sigh a breath of relief.
There were seven staff members who need to be assigned a rotating position. So, after a quick report, we began discussing who's going to do what and go where when PRN nurse/RN instructor asks Mandy the house sup something about being paid.
Again, I internally explode. "Let's stay focused here and get our assignments, shall we?" I say through gritted teeth. Mandy says in a whisper to PRN nurse/RN instructor, "We'll talk about it later".
Davey Do
10,666 Posts
As one of my competent coworkers said, "Around here, if you do what you're supposed to do, you're a rock star nurse!"
"Oh! You did an accucheck/monitored a BP before giving the insulin/antihypertensive?
Wow! You probably saved that patient's life by preventing a hypoglycemic/hypotensive crisis!
I'm not sure, but I think I'm looking at the next 'Nurse of the Year'!"
You've heard the old, "If it wasn't charted, it didn't happen". Orion, you probably work with competent nurses who do their job and want to prove it in shift report. I work at a place where it's believed, "If it's not discussed, it means it may or may not have not have occurred." I need to hear that the nurses did their job. I want to hear every detail of them doing their job.
Gwad, I could tell you stories...