Useless Shift Report Information

[Davey Do]

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?

[L-ICURN, BSN, RN]

3 minutes ago, Neo Soldier said:

This is a major issue at my job and I wish this could be addressed on some level with the staff at my job. There is a nurse who is passive aggressive with me when it comes to shift report. It's not enough that I hand her my SBAR (which I'm totally not required to do); she insists that I read my SBAR word for word- literally. I could be in the middle of giving her pertinent information, you know, like labs and she says, "so what race is he?" It's frustrating I tell ya!!

Had a nurse on nights who did this crap to me until one night I told her to look at the chart herself. The passive aggression she used was tolerated by management because she was friends with them outside of work.

[Davey Do]

12 hours ago, JKL33 said:

I can do without the judgmental commentary

Jeez!

I received a report from a young know-it-all nurse who suggested that I do a bladder scan on this particular patient "because that's what we'd do on medical!".

I visualized her attempting to do a bladder scan on that patient:

I just heard, after receiving report from her Sunday before last, she's going back to medical where her skills can be properly utilized and I don't have to deal with her.

[Crash_Cart]

I think the most passive aggressive reports ever encountered is when transferring a pt. from the ER to the hospital floor...

[Davey Do]

11 hours ago, NightNerd said:

I don't give a hoot what anyone's personal opinion is of the patient's likability

On psych, I will regularly get a report of a patient's inappropriate behavior. That's fine, but when the reporter gives the details in such a dramatic, disbelieving, condescending, holier-than-thou way, it makes me want to stimulate my uvula with a spoon!

I remember the wise words of good ol' Dr. J:

[Davey Do]

11 hours ago, JadedCPN said:

This is definitely my biggest pet peeve, and could be a safety issue because if you're diluting all of the pertinent patient information with random things that are irrelevant, it is more likely going to get drowned out or lost in the random info.

Profound perspective, Jaded!

I apply this concept of dilution to admissions and charting, also. For example, I refuse to print out an entire admission packet because of the useless, outdated forms. I print out three forms which I believe are important, and one form because I know QA believes its important. If I were to attempt to complete the entire packet, I could not see the forest for all the wasted trees. Or, as you so succinctly said, Jaded, "get drowned out or lost in the random info".

With charting, if I've charted it once, then it's done. The only exceptions are a paramount area of concern where I will do a play by play narrative or if I know somebody's going to be checking that particular button-pushed box.

[Davey Do]

9 hours ago, MoMelly said:

I don't know which is worse... The nurse who rattles off useless information or the nurse who literally just reads off the report they got from the shift before them.

Or when they read patient information which is in print:

"121A, Ima Schiz, 56 year old schizophrenic patient of Dr. Hobbit's with IDDM, HTN, COPD, and BPH, who came from the ER, brought in by police for running down the street naked yelling, 'Where's Fred MacMurray' has been no problem. Next, in 121B..."

"Wait a minute! What about his blood sugars? Blood pressure, etc?!"

"Oh, they've been fine."

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAUGH!"

[Davey Do]

7 hours ago, adventure_rn said:

Man, sounds like I'm in the minority--I love a thorough report, both giving and receiving.

Hey, adventureRN- we don't like your kind around here, so vamous!

Seriously, I enjoy both listening to, and giving, a good report. I will often say to the reporter, "Good report!" or if I have some self doubts when handing off, I will ask, "Do you feel like you received sufficient information in order to fight the demons of mental illness and/or save lives?"

If I feel as though I've given an award winning report, I will ask, "Okay- any questions compliments condemnations or condiments?"

[Davey Do]

6 hours ago, Crash_Cart said:

Outstandingly funny! (The crowd goes wild)

Hey Crash! Let's be Graphic Buddies!

[nurseravenclaw]

Have a nurse on my unit who talks about how many times she flushed the patients' IVs and how well it flushed each time. Discusses every pain assessment she did and the results of the reassessments. Her reports are an hour each patient and expects similar handoff updates/ reports. Total nightmare.

[Crash_Cart]

3 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

Outstandingly funny! (The crowd goes wild)

Hey Crash! Let's be Graphic Buddies!

Yeah thanks. ?

Ok i'm in... but purely for the personal entertainment value.

[Davey Do]

5 hours ago, brownbook said:

These are completely stable healthy patients

Or, as I quoted a tech in another thread, "This ain't rocket science or emergency brain surgery!"

[Davey Do]

2 hours ago, Daisy4RN said:

I had something happen like this also. I floated to a different unit, got report from NOC nurse and as soon as I was done I was told by charge that my home unit needed me back.

Had a situation where three patients were being transferred from an overflow unit to the adult male unit where I was working. The young nurse, who I'd never really worked with but had heard stories of incompetency, was giving me report.

When she finished, I said, "Good report! Now I have some respect for you where there was none before."

"Dave- that makes me want to cry!"

Tears of joy, I'm sure.