How to Make the Most of Your Nursing Minutes
Let's face it: Nurses work long hours. When you're near the end of your shift, your main focus is to give report and get home (so you can come back tomorrow and do it all again). Making a few tweaks to shift change can make report go smoother and faster, helping you get out on time and headed home for a well-deserved rest.
Both the receiving nurse and the reporting nurse have important roles in report. When you're receiving report, be sure to practice active listening. Some receiving nurses ask the reporting nurse questions before she can get to the topic. But when you derail the reporter's train of thought, it takes her time to get back on track. The appropriate time to ask questions is at the end of report—if your question has gone unanswered. Nothing is more aggravating than for the receiving nurse to ask a question about something the report just told her. Active listening is harder than you might think; it takes practice and energy.
When you're giving report, save everyone time by painting a picture. Benner observed that some reports are "retroactive descriptions of how the past shift went, which are seldom really predictive of how the next shift is going to be. But some nurses have the ability to present the report in terms of situations most likely to develop and the problems awaiting resolution in the next 8 to 10 hours." So when giving report, don't waste time painting a picture of what your shift looked like. Instead, paint a picture of the probable future—what the receiving nurse's shift might look like and problems awaiting resolution in the next 12 hours. When you frame your report in this manner, you're helping to jump-start her plan for the day.
"Time is precious." It's a cliché, but it's so true. With practice, these tips can help you organize your day, giving you more time to spend where you belong—at the bedside. They might even yield the ultimate payoff—time to have a relaxed conversation with your patients.
Barrier #4: Tag, You're It!
Let's face it: Nurses work long hours. When you're near the end of your shift, your main focus is to give report and get home (so you can come back tomorrow and do it all again). Making a few tweaks to shift change can make report go smoother and faster, helping you get out on time and headed home for a well-deserved rest.
Both the receiving nurse and the reporting nurse have important roles in report. When you're receiving report, be sure to practice active listening. Some receiving nurses ask the reporting nurse questions before she can get to the topic. But when you derail the reporter's train of thought, it takes her time to get back on track. The appropriate time to ask questions is at the end of report—if your question has gone unanswered. Nothing is more aggravating than for the receiving nurse to ask a question about something the report just told her. Active listening is harder than you might think; it takes practice and energy.
When you're giving report, save everyone time by painting a picture. Benner observed that some reports are "retroactive descriptions of how the past shift went, which are seldom really predictive of how the next shift is going to be. But some nurses have the ability to present the report in terms of situations most likely to develop and the problems awaiting resolution in the next 8 to 10 hours." So when giving report, don't waste time painting a picture of what your shift looked like. Instead, paint a picture of the probable future—what the receiving nurse's shift might look like and problems awaiting resolution in the next 12 hours. When you frame your report in this manner, you're helping to jump-start her plan for the day.
"Time is precious." It's a cliché, but it's so true. With practice, these tips can help you organize your day, giving you more time to spend where you belong—at the bedside. They might even yield the ultimate payoff—time to have a relaxed conversation with your patients.
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