Confidentiality during staff reports at the bedside

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Nursing
• Patient Care Communication
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Traditional nursing hand-over reports may not fully engage patients.
• The bedside approach offers potential for improved patient-centered communication.
• Understanding staff and patient perceptions is crucial for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine staff and patient attitudes towards bedside nursing hand-over reporting.
• To compare perceptions of confidentiality during bedside versus traditional reporting.
• To identify potential barriers and facilitators for bedside reporting.

Main Methods:

• A small-scale qualitative study was conducted.
• The study utilized the bedside approach for nursing hand-over.
• Data were collected on staff and patient attitudes.

Main Results:

• Nursing staff perceived a lower level of confidentiality during bedside reporting.
• Patients reported experiencing a greater sense of confidentiality than staff perceived.
• Discrepancies in perceived confidentiality highlight communication challenges.

Conclusions:

• Bedside nursing hand-over requires careful consideration of patient confidentiality.
• Further research is needed to optimize bedside reporting practices.
• Addressing the gap in perceived confidentiality is essential for patient trust and satisfaction.