Worked hard all night

kessadawn, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2011

Karma will get her, have no fear.

tyvin, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2011

Some people just don't get it. There would be days as a charge I would be literally tied to the phone and at the end of the day receive lovely comments in the area of "all she does is sit and talk on the phone" so forth and so on. Really ... and if I say anything it was always met with an almost silent hostility.

I refer to change of shift as "the change", literally; due to some nurse's behaviour are similar to a women going through menopause (never had it happen with a men yet). The problem is these nurses are too young to be going through the change with displays of mood swings, irritability, etc... Why can't we all play nice together?

caliotter3 · Jun 5, 2011

Yeah, they never sit around on days. We know. That is why I was trying to get the attention of a nurse who sat down with her plate of breakfast one Saturday morning with a family member standing right in front of her, asking questions about a resident on her assignment. She just proceeded with her breakfast, and would not even look up at the family member. Rude and unprofessional, but you know they don't sit around on day shift.

Orange Tree · Jun 5, 2011

I expect report to start at the scheduled time unless there's an urgent patient need being met by the off-going nurse. If he/she has charting to complete or loose ends to tie up, that can be done after report. In fact, I'll offer to tie up those loose ends for the off-going nurse if they're things I can legally do (obviously I can't do her charting).

I work hard all night, too....and I don't get to work on time to fall behind before I even get started. :twocents:

FancypantsRN · Jun 5, 2011

Good ole' day shift vs night shift. I hate it.... nursing is 24 hours. One floor in particular that I worked it was like this... they would make you feel guilty for passing anything on. Not every patient can be wrapped into a neat little package with nothing needing to be addressed prior to giving report.

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Jun 6, 2011

Didn't even get a meal break...and in the morning (after I rushed to get everyones pain meds/synthroid/abx/IVF/labs ect all set/caught up and ready for days), I can't find a computer. I find one down a hall. I am charting the above. My replacement comes (we give verbal report) and says, "Are you back hiding here? I have been looking for you. Can you give me report because we don't sit around on days"...................................................

How funny is that because we don't sit down on nights either!

JB2007, ASN, RN · Jun 6, 2011

OMG, I would have had to walk away from her right on the spot. If I would not have walked away someone would have been told off and then be even futher behind. The nerve of some people.

BTW, I have worked both days and nights and both shifts have there good shifts and the really bad shifts. When I worked days I have had night shift give report to me late and now sometimes days give me report late. A lot of times if I see the off going nurse is really busy I ask them what I can do to help them. I do not care I am being paid to do a job and I can get report as soon as they are able to give it to me. Some people just need to be smacked upside the head to nock some sense into them.

Mike A. Fungin RN · Jun 6, 2011

I just love it when people (patients, visitors, other nurses) give nurses a hard time for "sitting at the computer."

I'd much rather be taking care of patients than creating mountains of documentation that no one will ever look at.

JDZ344 · Jun 6, 2011

I once worked a night shift. We knew the day shift were going to be short because 4 (yes 4!) people phoned in between midnight and 6am.

So the nurses rushed around doing some of the morning IV drugs and pills. I and my CNA co-worker did about 6 extra bedbaths for the day shift.

Enter day staff. "Why didn't you empty the bins or clean the kitchen?"

I think we all wanted to kill that staff member. I went home wishing code browns galore on her....

steelydanfan · Jun 6, 2011

I expect report to start at the scheduled time unless there's an urgent patient need being met by the off-going nurse. If he/she has charting to complete or loose ends to tie up, that can be done after report. In fact, I'll offer to tie up those loose ends for the off-going nurse if they're things I can legally do (obviously I can't do her charting).
I work hard all night, too....and I don't get to work on time to fall behind before I even get started.

You can EXPECT anything you want, but you won't always get it. Your off-going nurse often has to give report to 3-4 different nurse, and finding them ain't always easy; not to mention the complicated change of shift pt. calls.

I don't want to stay later either, but stuff happens. Unless it happens all the time with one particular nurse, lighten up!

MommyandRN · Jun 6, 2011

Good ole' day shift vs night shift. I hate it.... nursing is 24 hours. One floor in particular that I worked it was like this... they would make you feel guilty for passing anything on. Not every patient can be wrapped into a neat little package with nothing needing to be addressed prior to giving report.

Amen. I worked in an ICU with people like that. God forbid you leave on issue for them to do. No one was happy unless every detail was taken care of. Sometimes you just need to call it a day, you've done as much as possible, and it's time for the next shift.