A protocol for validation of the Handover Evaluation Scale in multicultural ICUs.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Effective nursing handover is crucial for patient safety and care continuity.
• Globalization in nursing leads to multicultural workplaces, impacting handover communication.
• No tools exist to evaluate handover in multicultural settings, hindering identification of challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and validate the Handover Evaluation Scale for multicultural critical care settings.
• To examine factors influencing effective nursing handovers in diverse environments.
• To provide a tool for improving handover practices and patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Sequential exploratory mixed-methods design involving qualitative and quantitative phases.
• Qualitative phase: Semi-structured interviews with 20 Saudi Arabian ICU nurses.
• Quantitative phase: Reliability and validity assessment of the modified Handover Evaluation Scale.

Main Results:

• The study protocol outlines the adaptation and validation of the Handover Evaluation Scale.
• The process involves qualitative exploration of nurses' perceptions followed by quantitative validation.
• The adapted scale aims to measure handover effectiveness in multicultural ICUs.

Conclusions:

• The described protocol provides a framework for adapting the Handover Evaluation Scale.
• The validated tool will measure handover effectiveness in multicultural critical care.
• This can inform best practices for improving nursing handover and patient safety.