Bedside shift report handoffs, like traditional shift reporting, can lack standardization, be unstructured and communicated haphazardly. This lack of standardization can contribute to transmitted information between nurses that varies in quality and may lead to communication failures. Such communication failures can compromise patient safety (Phillippe, 2017), and lead to errors in patient care which can result in patient deaths (Makary & Daniel, 2016).
Purpose:
To examine the bedside shift report process, a descriptive study was conducted at an acute care hospital with over 400 beds located in the Southeast region of Texas. Nurses participating in the study were asked to compile a change of shift report on a simulated patient case, just as nurses do for actual patients in preparation for shift changes. Study participants compiled data for a shift report on the simulated patient case to demonstrate what data the nurses identified as being important to share in a bedside shift report.
Participation in the study was voluntary. All RNs providing direct patient care received invitations to participate. The hospital offered participants credit toward their career ladder program and a $5 gift card as incentives.
Methods:
The RNs participating in the study had access to the electronic medical record (EMR) for the simulated case and a paper print out of the patient report used at the hospital where the study was conducted. Participants were asked to review the EMR and paper printout, then write/add all critically important data on the paper printout that would be needed to communicate effectively during the bedside shift report.
A panel of three expert clinicians with at least a BSN degree and over five years of clinical experience analyzed the bedside shift report data compiled on the paper printouts by the 16 RNs in the study. The panel review process determined if the 16 study participants identified the critically important information which should be shared in a bedside shift report for the simulated case. Each of the RNs also completed a brief demographic survey.
Results:
Sixteen RNs from various units (including Telemetry, Oncology, ICU and Medical-Surgical) participated in the study. Interrater reliability among panel reviewers will be provided. Analysis of the data will be provided at the conference.
Conclusion:
The findings have implications for nursing practice and patient safety. Critically important patient information needs to be communicated during bedside shift reporting for safe patient care. A simulated patient case can be used to analyze if nurses identify the critical information to communicate during the bedside shift hand off.