Last week, on my last night to work before 5 in a row off, I had the night from hell. I had one patient who was actively dying (DNR, on vent, family was almost ready to let him go) and another patient I had to take to MRI at 6:15 am. I got back from MRI at 7:15 am (the time I should be done with report and clocking out) and got the patient reconnected to cardiac monitor, CVP, arterial line, pulse ox, bp cuff, and IV fluids. The day nurse came in to help me and I started telling her about the night but not really giving report. She proceeded to start assessing the patient (the patient was a neuro, so I can understand checking hand grasps and following commands, but for god's sake she broke out the stethoscope and started listening to breath sounds!!) so I stopped her and said, I need to give you report, then you can come back and do your assessment. (I was to give her report on my other patient too.) As I walked around the desk, she mumbled under her breath, "You're lucky I came in and helped you get her back to bed." I asked what she said and she wouldn't repeat it, so I went ahead and started giving her report. I won't get into any more gory details, but I'll just say that I didn't get out of there till 9:30 and I was about ready to rip her f@#$ing head off by the time I left.
So my question is this: when you come on to a shift, when do you think your work actually begins? Do you feel obligated to help the leaving nurse with the patient if he/she needs it, or should the leaving nurse have everything done before you take over? 99% of the time, I have everything done and I'm leaving a clean patient in a clean room with up-to-date vitals (for 0700 if they are qhour), pain med given, new bags of IVF/gtts if they will run out in less than 4 hours, supplies for the next dressing change, chux if needed, etc, etc, etc. But if the patient takes a dump while we're in report, would you expect me to clean up the patient without at least helping me? Just curious...