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Change-of-Shift Nursing Handoff Interruptions: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice
Lori M Rhudy1, Maren R Johnson1, Catherine A Krecke1
1Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing
|July 23, 2019
Summary
Interruptions during nurse handoffs are perceived as valuable or disruptive based on their relevance to patient care. Strict handoff protocols may hinder nurses from sharing critical patient information, impacting patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Communication
Background:
- Change-of-shift handoffs are crucial for patient safety and nursing surveillance.
- Interruptions during handoffs are known but their impact on the process is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore registered nurses' perceptions of bedside change-of-shift handoff interruptions in critical care.
- To quantify the number, type, and source of these interruptions.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory descriptive study design.
- Observation of 100 nurse-to-nurse handoffs and four focus groups.
- Analysis of data using descriptive statistics, quantitative, and qualitative content analysis.
Main Results:
- 1,196 interruptions were observed, with 800 occurring during nurse communication.
- Over 80% of these interruptions originated from the receiving nurse, often as questions.
- Nurses' perception of an interruption depends on its perceived value to patient care.
Conclusions:
- Interruptions are deemed useful or disruptive based on their immediate value to the nurse.
- Mandated handoff structures may impede the communication of essential patient-specific information.
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