Nurse handover: patient and staff experiences

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Nursing practice
• Patient safety

Background:

• Poor communication is a significant contributor to healthcare errors.
• Nurse handover is a critical juncture for potential communication breakdowns.
• Limited research exists on patient and staff experiences with nursing handover practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the purpose, impact, and experiences of nurse handover from both patient and staff perspectives.
• To explore the nuances of different handover methods, including bedside handover.
• To identify areas for improvement in nursing communication during patient transitions.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative and observational study was conducted on two acute hospital wards in the UK.
• Data collection involved interviews with patients and healthcare staff.
• Direct observation of nurse handovers, ward rounds, and patient-staff interactions was performed.

Main Results:

• Diverse nurse handover methods were observed, including office-based, nurse-in-charge to nurse-in-charge, and bedside handover.
• Both patients and nurses agreed on the purpose of bedside handover for information transfer and ward rounds for patient discussion.
• Discrepancies emerged regarding the value of office handover, with concerns about confidentiality and patient involvement in bedside handover noted. Communication issues were identified by both patients and staff.

Conclusions:

• While standardizing handover structure and content is important, a uniform process across all clinical areas may not be necessary.
• Implementing nurse training for effective bedside handover delivery is recommended.
• Educating patients on the purpose of handover and their role can enhance the process.