Using simulation to develop handover skills.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Ineffective handover skills among nurses can negatively impact clinical confidence, competence, and team coordination.
• Poor communication during patient handovers poses a significant risk to patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of ineffective handover skills on nurses and patient safety.
• To investigate how simulation can be utilized to enhance communication and handover skills in student nurses.

Main Methods:

• The study focused on pre-registration student nurses at the University of Derby.
• Simulation-based learning was employed to teach effective patient handover techniques.

Main Results:

• Simulation effectively equipped student nurses with essential handover communication skills.
• Enhanced handover skills are anticipated to improve nurse confidence and patient safety outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Simulation is a valuable pedagogical tool for developing critical handover skills in nursing education.
• Improving handover communication is crucial for enhancing nurse competence and ensuring patient safety.