Changing handover practices: one private hospital's experiences.
The handover practice has long been an important component of clinical nursing practice allowing nurses to exchange relevant client information from one shift to the next and ensure continuity of patient care. Traditional approaches have seen nursing handovers taking place in a room away from general ward activity. Oncoming nursing staff receive the information verbally from nurses on the previous shift about all patients within the ward or unit. This practice has been proven over time to present difficulties and consequently, many hospitals are choosing to adopt models that better address current needs. This analysis describes the creative approaches taken by one private hospital in modifying handover practices with the view to reduce time and increase overall efficiency and effectiveness, whilst ensuring that staff and ward requirements are considered. The study highlights how action research principles can be applied to introduce change into the clinical practice environment.
McKenna
L
L
School of Nursing, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia.
Walsh
K
K
D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D006302:Health Services Research; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016294:Models, Nursing; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D013997:Time Factors