I work in LTC and have had this problem every since I can remember:
The next shift nurse doesn't show up until 6:10am.
It makes me mad that I show up at 5:45pm, the time I was told to be there by the DON, to get report and count the narcs, but they can't do me the same favor? I'd like to go home too after 12 hours and not make it look like I am the one milking the clock.
Just a pet peeve of mine, but I expect nurses to be professional. I guess I am just too old school?
I don't care what time they get to work as long as I'm done with report by 7:15 (I work 11-7) I don't come in most nights until 10:45 because if you come in earlier the pm shift wants you to start count and report the minute you hit the door -- sometimes they get out before we are even supposed to be there! We have written time cards not a punch clock. Not a problem but they are always ready to go out the door when we get there(sitting waiting for us) but have a list of things they "didn't get to because they were SOOO busy! If you're so busy- how come you sitting around waiting on me??? Oh well that's another rant for another day:banghead:
I totally hear you. I can come in on my 11-7 shift, and find the pm shift eating, and reading magazines, and the cna's in the pt's lounge all watching tv. The patients haven't been checking in ?how long? There is a stack of meds to put away, and orders to be done. I have solved some of this by going directly to the meds and stack them on top of each respective cart, and said, I need to put my things away, and will count with you when you put the meds away you forgot about. This makes the vacationing nurses a little irritable, but in order to count and leave early, I have to be there to participate in the narc count. Then I look pointedly at the clock and say oh, 25 min left, let me help you tackle some of these charts together. You should see the ugly faces made toward my direction, but inside, I am secure and happy in being a night nurse.
Although it was a written policy of my former employers in home health that the oncoming nurse arrive at 10 minutes to the hour, I never saw other nurses follow that rule except myself and one other nurse. Instead it was more like show up 15 or 20 minutes late, then write down on your time sheet that you were on time. I show up 10 minutes early, following the policy; can't complain that they weren't able to leave on time since I'm there ready to take report when I'm supposed to be.
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Our shifts start at a quarter to the hour and end at a quarter past, so there is always an overlap and plenty of time to give report. The staff has a 7 minute rule so they can't punch in too early. If I hear from the staff that Suzy is 'always late' I pull the time clock reports and take a look. If it is true they get a whisper in their ear about being on time. If it continues they get a documented warning.
I can't clock in until seven minutes before or after my shift starts, which is at 2200. But I usually get there up to a half an hour earlier to get my stuff in order, chat with the evening shift aids, get my coffee, have a smoke break with my night time aide, etc. Once I clock in, however, I get to work. We have half an hour to get report and check narcs. I am always pretty sensitive to the outgoing shifts: they have been there all day/evening, and they want to go home. They have a life to live too. I agree about taking it to the DNS and saying "I need help figuring out when to clock in" and not "these people need to get their @#$% together". You're more likely to get a response from that.
I expect my relief to just show up on time...report starts at 2145 and I expect them to be sitting in the report room ready to take report at that time. If they are the type that shows up early and I am not caught up, I expect them to leave me alone until either change of shift (at which time I will be ready to give report) or until I catch up and am ready to give report.
If they are late, I expect them to sit down and take report when they walk in the door...it is so frustrating to have them go through the routine of having to get coffee and their three pens and one highlighter and one black sharpie and two pieces of gum and...
I am due for work at 245pm.....Im there usually no later than 240pm because usually the day nurse is ready for me and Im quick so she can finish up what she needs to after she gets done with me. Now...with the night shift...depending on which nurse is coming in......its later. When I was a new nurse this night nurse would come in at 7pm and spend 4 hours or more putting names and birthdays on lab sheets for the next am....didnt matter if it was 3 or 13 labs......Im sorry but it doesnt take 4 hours to check a box and write a name and birthday down! She is a piddler.....just likes to mess in stuff to look busy....sooooo I fixed her wagon.....once I got my fill of getting out of there at midnight for about a month....I started getting out the report sheets....so when she came in one night....I had them ready, done, and was at the cart with the key in it...drawer out ready to go.......I havent had that problem outta her since. There is also another nurse on day shift who is soooooo slow.....on purpose....does it to get out of doing other duties and gets to ride the clock. Thank God I dont have to work behind her. She thinks she has to deep clean the cart before she can give you report and then she hasnt wrote nothing down all day and has to write a novel on each individual person, yet somehow manages to leave out very important details...like......they had a cxr and why etc. But....to answer the original?.....I expect my relief to be on time and ready. Dont hop on your cell phone or take phone calls first thing.....I hate that! Got one nurse who does that every time I have to work behind her....Ive never gotten report from her without having to stop in the middle of counting narcs so she can go answer the phone when her teenage son calls to tell her he needs some candy bars before she comes home!
I'd like to go home too after 12 hours and not make it look like I am the one milking the clock.
tiroka03, LPN
393 Posts
I totally hear you. I can come in on my 11-7 shift, and find the pm shift eating, and reading magazines, and the cna's in the pt's lounge all watching tv. The patients haven't been checking in ?how long? There is a stack of meds to put away, and orders to be done. I have solved some of this by going directly to the meds and stack them on top of each respective cart, and said, I need to put my things away, and will count with you when you put the meds away you forgot about. This makes the vacationing nurses a little irritable, but in order to count and leave early, I have to be there to participate in the narc count. Then I look pointedly at the clock and say oh, 25 min left, let me help you tackle some of these charts together. You should see the ugly faces made toward my direction, but inside, I am secure and happy in being a night nurse.