Decreasing Interferences and Time Spent on Transferring Information on Changing Nursing Shifts

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Clinical information exchange during nursing shift changes is crucial but often unstructured.
• Limited time and frequent interruptions disrupt effective communication.
• Lack of standardized protocols increases the time for information transfer, potentially compromising patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific interruptions that prolong nursing shift changes.
• To determine the impact of these interruptions on pediatric patient safety.
• To inform organizational changes for improved pediatric patient care delivery.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted over five months.
• The information transfer process among nurses was systematically altered.
• Data was collected to analyze the types of interruptions and their effect on shift change duration.

Main Results:

• Specific types of interruptions were identified as significantly increasing shift change time.
• Prolonged shift changes were correlated with decreased safety for pediatric patients.
• Findings necessitate a re-evaluation of how pediatric patient care is organized.

Conclusions:

• Unstructured clinical information transfer and interruptions during nursing shifts pose risks to pediatric patient safety.
• Standardized communication protocols and optimized workflows are essential.
• Organizational adjustments are required to mitigate risks and enhance the quality of pediatric care.