title: Role of the nurse-to-nurse handover in patient care.
abstract: The nurse-to-nurse handover is not taught formally during training, yet it is one of the most important rituals of the nursing shift. This article focuses on the structure and function of change-of-shift reports and lists the events that occur within them, describing the locations of the handover process and the mode of communication involved. The problems that can occur during handover are discussed and solutions are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Staffordshire University, Faculty of Health, Royal Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, Shrewsbury. sles.scovell@staffs.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sles
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scovell
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards; D012449:Safety