When Giving Report Please....

[lilarox]

Everyone has an opinion on the best way to give report, and opinions on what not to do. I like to believe that most of the time I do a good job. There are days where things just do not flow well, and I do not win report giving awards. That said, I always try to be respectful of the oncoming shift when giving report. I think it is important to mentally put yourself in their shoes (or think back 12 hours...) so you give the report in a manner in which you wish to receive it.

So I'd like this thread to be a sort of feedback for report giving. It can even be a dumping ground for things that irritate you while getting report. All positive and negative comments can teach us something, and I am constantly trying to improve.

So I'll start, with more of a dumping versus a positive uplifting.

We have a nurse that tells you NOTHING in report, to sum it up it goes something like this: You have a patient in room xx, Any questions? Obviously he/she says other things, what he/she does say however is usually superfluous. Granted report is really short, guess that gives me plenty of time to figure out all that I needed to know.

Okay I will leave it at that and let everyone else chime in. For now.

[RNGriffin]

I can't imagine a nurse manager asking an ICU nurse to abbreviate their report. More is more. The only thing getting abbreviated is our lunch breaks.

If that's the way your team functions, so be it. I can't see this functioning at the organization where I work. I could have a patient code in the hour it takes to receive report.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

The nice thing about the ER is that unless I am giving report on an ICU pt, most reports I give to fellow ER nurses are under 2 min/per pt. I tell them name, presenting complaint, what we did, how complaint is now, any relevant med hx/labs/or vitals. For the majority of pts that are med-surg report should not be very involved

[SwansonRN]

If that's the way your team functions so be it. I can't see this functioning at the organization where I work. I could have a patient code in the hour it takes to receive report.[/quote']

If a patient suddenly codes we will obviously stop report. It's not that black and white. If the patient looks like they're circling we're in the room giving handoff on the fly while we are stabilizing. At the very least we are sitting directly outside of the patients room in full view of the patient, machines, and monitors. It may seem excessive for some, but it's not unsafe.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Just don't expect me to give you an entire assessment over the phone. They are your pt, you need to get eyes on them and talk to them. yes I have done most of the work but that doesn't mean you can chart what I tell you I see or hear.

All I care about is why are they here, what have we given, where do we stand on dispo. Short sweet to the point. I can look at the chart for the rest.

[nurseladybug12]

I am a Med/Surg nurse , so when I receive report from ICU nurses there is a difference in the style in which they give report, for example, they hit on each system and what their assessment was starting with neuro, cardiac etc. and they always tell me the weight of the pt, as a med/surg nurse this is not that important, and it is at the top of the chart if I really needed it, but whatever. I think people should tailor their report to their audience. If I am giving report to a nurse at a short term rehab facility I tailor my report to them. I hate when night nurses question me to death about every little thing, things they could easily look up in the EMR themselves, I also hate when they stand there and look through the whole EMR while I am talking and dont seem to be listening but rather looking for things that werent done or reading notes that they can read on their own time. Listen to me when I am giving report, so rude to be reading! Then when I receive report from some night nurses, it seems that they haven't read any of the notes, dont know what the plan for the patient is, dont know a whole lot about the pt in general. I often read the notes and I discover A LOT and sometimes important information is not communicated at report because they have not read the notes.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I am PICU stepdown and our reports, even with chatter kept to a minimum, can take 30-45 minutes on 3 complex patients. This includes checking the orders during report, and going in to check the patient together after giving verbal report outside the room. On these patients I LOVE it when the oncoming nurse is back and I can just give updates! :-)

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I am a Med/Surg nurse , so when I receive report from ICU nurses there is a difference in the style in which they give report, for example, they hit on each system and what their assessment was starting with neuro, cardiac etc. and they always tell me the weight of the pt,

yes we have a format that we follow that's head to toe, the history (which is sometimes very complex), the weight (because it's peds), and then social history because that often plays a big part of care in peds also.

[gigglestarsRN]

All I know is my last few shifts I have had some VERY pertinent information left out of report and thus leaving me swinging in the wind looking like an idiot when asked by patient family or docs/therapists/social worker about it. Things like......a second planned surgery. A DVT in the left arm. Having been admitted with chest pain the week before and had stents placed at that time. A stage II decubitus. Things that sure, I would find out once I had the chance to review the chart (which, face it....often doesn't happen as soon as we would like). All I ask is report be thorough and accurate.[/quote']

^^^this^^^

[gigglestarsRN]

Just tell me vitals stable. I don't want to know every dose of insulin in the las 24 hors and what they had for snacks, especially if they are going home this morning.

I do want to know who has crazy spouses.

Again, ^^^this!!

[SleeepyRN]

All I know is my last few shifts I have had some VERY pertinent information left out of report and thus leaving me swinging in the wind looking like an idiot when asked by patient family or docs/therapists/social worker about it. Things like......a second planned surgery. A DVT in the left arm. Having been admitted with chest pain the week before and had stents placed at that time. A stage II decubitus. Things that sure, I would find out once I had the chance to review the chart (which, face it....often doesn't happen as soon as we would like). All I ask is report be thorough and accurate.[/quote']

Ughhhhh been there. Still happens. Sooo embarrassing. And at times, dangerous.

[suanna]

I was a "Gung-Ho!" new grad fresh from my triumphant sucess in passing my NCLEX. I couldn't wait to show these older RNs how much valuable knowledge I was gifted with in my BSN program. Two weeks off orientation one of the more senior nurses informed me if I ever told her about my patients "a-e egophony" or "whispered pectoriloquy" she was going to strangle ME with my stethoscope. The 2hr head-t- toe assessment they taught me to do in school had very little to do with what I should have been assessing and reporting to the oncoming nurse. Admittedly, I do prefer a more detailed report than less, but it is possible to take things to an extreme.

[Fiona59]

Do you come in early to participate in these epic reports? 15 minutes is the paid report part of the shift. I don't work for free.