[rnsince83]

I would like to know your thoughts about shift report from nurses who currently work day to day in the trenches--Giving it and Getting it--What works, What doesn't--Any stories about successes or failures--Details about how it's done where you work--How has it changed since you started working?--Is it better or worse?--Does it enable or hinder you in providing better care for your patients?--Does it enhance your role as a nurse?--What are the most/least important components?--Is there a difference in the current reality vs what should be?--How would you fix it?

[cassioo]

We give a verbal report. The charge nurse give report to the whole oncoming shift hit the basics and anything important..this is post partum so pretty routine stuff for the most part. In L&D each nurse reports on her patient(s) to the oncoming shift then those nurses decide who they will take based on need, if they'd had them before. It works pretty well I just don't like when the next shift strolls in 5 mins late when I want to go after 12 1/2 hrs.
On peds we did like L&D off going gave to all oncoming. With verbal then you can ask questions if needed.
I've worked with taped report before and I don't like it as well some just read the cardex and you don't find out anything you need to know. One place I worked gave a written report (ortho/neuro) and we had a form to fill out with the basics and anything extra but people would still give a mini verbal for anything they really needed to talk about. I like the verbal just for the give and take as long as I don't get questions like what was their temp? when I already told them v/s were normal...I would have said they weren't but there's always one that wants to know something....One I work with is always worried about IV counts which I don't care about they are on the pump and it will ring when it's out and if it's not on a pump don't give me 100 to count when it's running at 125 and it was checked an hour ago just hang a new one and I'll see it when I go in

[nursinghumor]

You can find some interesting insights, studies on these websites:

These are other resources dealing specifically with happenings during a Nursing Shift.

10 Things You Can Do To Make Your Shift Easier! by Geneviève M. Clavreul:"Whether you work an 8-hour or 12-hour shift, there are things you can do to help make your work easier and your day run more smoothly. You may recognize some of the following suggestions from your nursing school days. Call this article Nursing 101: The Refresher Course. The problem is, we often forget the organizational basics when confronted by the demands of the real world of nursing. Practice these tips and you'll feel that you're controlling your shift rather than it controlling you."
Working World Magazine
3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1526 Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel213)385-4781
Fax213)385-3782
WorkingNurse@WorkingWorld.com
http://www.workingworld.com/magazine...o=286&wn=1

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An Exploratory Study of Supportive Communication During Shift Report, Mary M. Hays, DSN, RN:"This article describes supporting behaviors, one aspect of an exploratory study of the interactions of registered nurse (RN) leaders and followers during shift report in a hospital setting. The purpose of the article is to describe the observed supporting behaviors of RNs as they listen and respond to each other during their usual shift report. Supporting behaviors were selected as a significant reporting entity for the initial analysis of the video recorded reports in keeping with the American Nurses Association's Cabinet on Nursing Research's goals for the new century."
http://www.snrs.org/members/SOJNR_ar...iss03vol03.htm

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Story of A Nursing Home Shift, by Jeff Danger, LPN, MSW:"2:50 PM Nurse Marsha, an LPN with 2 years nursing experience, arrives at Anywhere Nursing Home, a 150 bed capacity facility. She is 10 minutes early but the time clock will not allow her to clock in (the corporation doesn't want to pay anyone to begin work early) so instead of starting work she just stands there with several other employees in the basement waiting, wasting time. After clocking in at the top of the hour, she is met by Amy, the supervisor, "Hi Marsha. Because of a sick call, you'll have to work the 4th floor. Stacy (the regular day nurse) agreed to work a double only if she could stay here. There's an admission coming at around 5 PM. I'll try and get up there to help you with the paperwork. Thanks alot." Irritated because this seems to happen too frequently, Nurse Marsha takes the elevator to the 4th floor where she is not familiar with the residents.
http://www.jeffdanger.com/newpage62.htm

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Surviving Stress by Noel Elliott RN, BSN, CCRN. A Nursewise CE offering:"The shift report was half completed when the overhead speaker blandly announced, "Code Yellow--room 43, Code Yellow-- room 43, Code Yellow--room 43." Faith, the charge nurse of the medical-surgical unit that included room 43, was almost to the doorway of announced room before the overhead message ended."
http://www.nursewise.com/courses/stress_hour.htm

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[cassioo]

That 1st article is a good one and most of it works well for me all but # 6 & #7. As soon as we plan breaks in L&D we get slammed with labor patients and those darn babies don't wait..(or the doc decides lunch time is the time to throw in a c-section so he doesn't mess up his office hours who cares about our lunch)

[kidrn911]

I work in ER just give me the down and dirty