What are the little things you do to help the next shift?

[kristandrews]

I'm not a very considerate person (not in a mean way...I'm just in my own little world half the time) & as such, I often need suggestions of how to make life easier for the people I work with. I've heard co-workers mention things like hanging an extra bag of fluids on the IV pole, making sure any IV antibiotics due at shift change are started early enough to finish before you leave, starting a new IV if a patient's IV will go out-of-date on the next shift, and making sure patients have plenty of ice water for the next shift's med pass. What are some of the things you always try to do (or wish the other shift's nurses/CNA's did) before change of shift to help the oncoming shift?

[All4NursingRN]

LOL not to kill the positive mood in here but this reminds me of a small few of the day shift nurses in our ED who would wait to hang ABT's, PRBC's and such or claim a patient just came in from the waiting room when in fact they've been lying there for the last 30-40 minutes, oh.. oh or claim a patient was at CT/x-ray and just came back so they didn't get a chance to give them their meds/start IV/draw blood etc.. Smh. See we couldn't get away with that on nights because by 7am the ED was dead and there was no excuse to fall back on.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I always give pain medicine to my patients 1-2 hours before my shift end. Even if they don't ask for it, I bring it anyway and make sure they take it. There is nothing worst then a patient being in pain and asking for medication at shift change. I wish my night shift nurses would do the same.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Restocking, restocking, restocking! And pitching the expired products.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I always tried to have fresh fluids hanging. If IV tubing and CVP and ART lines dressings were going to need changing I would change those. I always tried to have extra drips in the bin or at least the pharmacy called for those drips that they will need.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I work PMs in Behavioral Health and always make sure paperwork is ready for them even if they won't need it until 0200. I'm still learning, but sometimes it's the little things that make a difference. Rooms are cleaner, pts settled (as much as possible), pain addressed etc.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

PCA here.

If I'm working first or second shift, I will usually get the 2300 vitals for the oncoming aide as well as fill up water pitchers. This gives the next person time to get report and round on all patients without the stress of getting vitals and refreshments.

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

I try to do what I can based on what I complain about. So I make sure the insulin syringes are stocked, the IM syringes and needles are ready to go, the Sterile water is stocked and within date, alcohol pads, (nothing worse than having a patient flipping out and not having supplies right there), care plans at least to the point that the pages can be printed, bgm supplies refilled.

[amoLucia]

I do 11-7 LTC.

I like to have the paperwork ready for pts going out for morning appts. No rushing like crazy when Medi Transport comes for early apt pick-ups. Also will change over the GT feeding if it's close to change or else I'll leave a new one at the bedside. Restocking the med cart, glucometer stuff (my pet peeve).

Restocking colostomy equip is a yes, but restocking trach/suction equip is a MUST.

I don't understand all your comments about water pitchers?!? Our pts are supposed to have water avail at all times unless ...

Even if I can't get to something, I will try to alert the next staff of what's missing (like more glucometer strips!).

I flag MARs when meds are in the refrig - nothing worse than wasting time searching.

And a big THANK YOU to all you staff who try to be considerate for the next shift. People don'ts say it ofter enough, but it is appreciated.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Roll, check, and clean patients if necessary. Like to leave day shift with dry bedding, at least. (Can be hard on a burn unit.)

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

By policy my shift (night shift) has to change the suction canisters, change the flush bags, put out a new oral care kit, start electrolyte replacements after doing AM labs, take out the trash, and take out the laundry bags. I start all of my housekeeping with my 4am assessments, and then I make out my multidisciplinary rounding sheet for day shift, and make sure I have all of my lines labeled and refills for all of my drips. Then I do their first turn with them during bedside report. I also try and do any 0730 meds unless they're insulin for with breakfast, obviously I'm not going to do that since I won't have a tray.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

For my long term vent patients, I like to make sure the trach care cart is stocked with inner cannulas, qtips, hydrogen peroxide, sterile water, split gauze dressings, syringes for g tube feedings and med administration, Mepilex dressings for wounds and VAP bundle kits. Other nurses are not this considerate. People have actually told me they like following me because I try to wrap things up in a bow for the next shift. At least it's noticed.

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[Mr. Murse]

I think in part this question depends on which shift you're on. I work on a surgical floor that has night shift and day shift, 7-7. I work night shift and I feel as though we have a little bit more free time on average than day shift. So there are a few things I try to do that I feel day shift doesn't have as much time to do, like sit down for a few minutes and research patient history and details of their surgery, or the reasons they're here, lab and vital trends, etc so that I can give a thorough report to day shift. I've seen patients that had been there for two or three days with bad information that had been passed on in report but no one had bothered to read up about the patient and look at their history. Day shift tends to do a lot more discharges and admissions and don't have time to really read through the H&P and what not. I also try to clean up their charts in the computer (get rid of unnecessary power plans and orders, clear the MAR of old things that weren't charted for whatever reason, etc). On the other hand I feel like it's day shift responsibility to do everything they can that requires the doctor's input (order clarifications, sufficient pain/nausea control, etc), because night shift has to go out of our way to get a hold of doctors. Both shifts have the responsibility of cleaning up, stocking supplies, and I always try to make one final round of all my patients about half an hour before shift change to make sure my patients are all happy and will be okay for the next hour or two. Oh, and ALWAYS check your incontinent/total care patients and make sure they're clean and okay, nothing is more frustrating than coming on shift and trying to get through shift assessments and having to practically give a bath and do a bed change when you first go in a room.

Think of it this way, for the next few weeks, every time you go to work and start your shift take a mental note of things that you like and things you don't like when you come on shift. Before you leave, make sure things are the way you like them to be when you came on.