Staff Report Writing

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Step by Step Guide to Giving End of Shift Report

Providing an end of shift report is crucial for preparing the next shift to care for the patients at the medical facility. With so much happening during your day, it can be difficult to remember everything that happened. Additionally, relaying all of that information verbally can be overwhelming to the people listening. Instead of trying to make them commit all of that information to memory, it is best to detail it in a report that they can refer to anytime during their shift. This will also cut down on the number of calls you may receive at home from nurses who may have forgotten what you said or need further clarification.

Giving an end of shift report using nursing notes will be challenging when you first do it but will get easier over time. The first thing you want to do is review your nursing notes and fill in any additional information you may have forgotten to include. Once you have dumped all of the info in your head on the pages then you can put your attention on filling out a comprehensive report. You will want to start with the patient statuses. Write about any important changes in the patient's condition that occurred during your shift. This is where the nursing notes come in handy because you will be able to see at a glance the changes in the patient's vitals.

The next thing you will want to note is any special instructions regarding the patients. For example, a doctor wants a patient to receive medication at a certain time. Make notes of any tests that were conducted on the patient and the results of those tests (or where the results can be found) so that the staff can relay that information should the doctor call for them. This prevents nurses from wasting time trying to find the lab results.

Next, write down any notable occurrences that happened during your shift that may affect the patient or the staff. For example, if a patient requested that a certain person be kept away from them then make note of their name and description so the staff can be on the lookout for them. Try to make the report as thorough as possible so that the replacement staff has all of the information they need to provide high quality care to the people under their watch. Go over the report with the replacement staff and answer any questions they may have.

About the Author

Marsha is an expert in Shift Report and related topics. To learn more, visit http://www.rnreportcard.com or call 888-720-4767 today!

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staff report writing
staff report writing
staff report writing