Worked hard all night

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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"...................................................

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
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:

Uh huh. Would have been nice to have someone to give report to the other morning after a rough 12 hour night in the

ER. Nonresponsive apneic shows up at 7:02. Obviously the nurse had to be in there.... but there were 2 more nurses and the charge in my zone, as well as her orientee; none took report. I was there over 3 hours taking care of my people, just love those 15 hour shifts and turn around and come back at 7 again.

Sorry if I am actually meeting a patient need (urgent or not) at the precise moment you want report; stuff happens. If you have to wait a few while I finish charting the stuff fresh in my mind, well, you will have a completed chart to start off with. Frankly, I don't like not being able to chart my initial assessments because the previous shift still has the charts. My:twocents:

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

many people (including myself) assume that night shift is "easier" because patients *must* be sleeping. keep in mind, this is what i assumed before i started working. after working night shift for awhile, i started picking up extra shifts on days and i was in heaven! it was SO much easier than my night shift. i ended up switching to day shift and giving up night shift because i liked it so much better. i think everyone should be required to work both shifts just so they can see what each shift is like.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.
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!

Yes, it is always the same nurses. I'm light as a feather when I'm not waiting on one of them. :D

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.
Uh huh. Would have been nice to have someone to give report to the other morning after a rough 12 hour night in the

ER. Nonresponsive apneic shows up at 7:02. Obviously the nurse had to be in there.... but there were 2 more nurses and the charge in my zone, as well as her orientee; none took report. I was there over 3 hours taking care of my people, just love those 15 hour shifts and turn around and come back at 7 again.

Sorry if I am actually meeting a patient need (urgent or not) at the precise moment you want report; stuff happens. If you have to wait a few while I finish charting the stuff fresh in my mind, well, you will have a completed chart to start off with. Frankly, I don't like not being able to chart my initial assessments because the previous shift still has the charts. My:twocents:

Your post just confuses me... I wanted to respond since it's a response to my comments (apparently), but I just can't figure you out. Maybe I'm too tired.:uhoh3:

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Uh huh. Would have been nice to have someone to give report to the other morning after a rough 12 hour night in the

ER. Nonresponsive apneic shows up at 7:02. Obviously the nurse had to be in there.... but there were 2 more nurses and the charge in my zone, as well as her orientee; none took report. I was there over 3 hours taking care of my people, just love those 15 hour shifts and turn around and come back at 7 again.

Sorry if I am actually meeting a patient need (urgent or not) at the precise moment you want report; stuff happens. If you have to wait a few while I finish charting the stuff fresh in my mind, well, you will have a completed chart to start off with. Frankly, I don't like not being able to chart my initial assessments because the previous shift still has the charts. My:twocents:

I don't understand how you would end up staying 3 hrs past your shift :confused:. Are you unable to pass off the pt who shows up after 7 am to the next shift? Did you have to stay with the pt till he/she was transferred to a different unit? Who were your "people" that you had to take care of? You didn't give up your whole pt load when the morning shift came on? Were you short staffed or something?

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Every shift thinks they work the hardest. When I worked 3-11, and was a hospital float, all units complained about either day or noc shift being lazy.

Shifts are like roller coasters. You can have great shifts with the next shift slammed. It's an Up AnD dOwN thing.

We complain about nurses eating their young? Heck, we eat each other!!!

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