It’s the end of a twelve-hour shift, and the next shift is coming in. Now it’s up to you to report to the oncoming nurse. But what do you tell them? How do you report to the next nurse?
#1 Be honest.
Be honest. Okay, what do I mean with this, simply put, if a question comes up during the report and you can’t answer the question, say that, I don’t know? It’s better to admit that you don’t know whether you read all the notes and there wasn’t any information or you only scanned some of the records, tell them. The report will then be noted for the nurse to look up later in their shift. If you make up some answers, this could be trouble for the patient or the nurse during the upcoming shift.
#2 Be organize.
Be organized. The best way to stay organized is to have a brain sheet. The brain sheet allows the same information for each patient. When all the information is in place on the brain sheet, this gives you a great script. Read the brain from top to bottom, starting with the patient name, age, gender, diagnosis, allergies, and then to each body system. Especially as a new nurse, this way of giving a report will help you stay on track, stay organized, and consistent.
#3 Don’t forget the Q&A portion.
Don’t forget the questions and answers. At the end of the report, make sure you stop at the end and ask if they have any questions. These questions could be information that you might have forgotten or didn’t give in-depth information. The report to the next nurse is the opportunity to make sure that you thoroughly explained the patient; this also confirms that the information was heard and understood.
#4 Speak slow and loud.
Like questions and answers, assure that you are speaking slow and loud enough to be heard and understood. If you talk too fast, information becomes mistaken or skipped entirely.
The best report, whether you are a new nurse or a seasoned nurse, an honest, consistent, organized description that is understood and explains, will be appreciated by everyone.