Effective Handover Practices for Quality Patient Care
The primary goal of any handover is to ensure the efficient transfer of high-quality clinical information during transitions of responsibility for patient care. Effective handovers are essential for maintaining continuity of care, especially in shift work environments.
Enhancing Patient Safety and Satisfaction
Robust handover processes enhance patient safety by ensuring the consistent exchange of critical information necessary for safe and effective care. This leads to increased patient satisfaction as each staff member can seamlessly continue where the previous caregiver left off, thereby aiding the recovery process.
Guidance for a Safe and Robust Handover
To provide direction and guidance for staff on delivering a safe and robust handover while preserving confidentiality, it is essential to ensure that all critical information relevant to optimal patient care is conveyed. During the transfer of care at shift changes:
Adequate time must be allocated in rotas for team members to meet, share information, and clarify ongoing care responsibilities and outstanding tasks.
Handover should have clear leadership, with verbal clinical handovers supported by written information.
Key Objectives for Clinical Handover
Effective Arrangements: Ensure all services have robust systems for the effective handover of patient clinical information.
Timely and Factual Communication: Ensure clinical handovers are effective, timely, and factual to maximise patient safety across the organisation.
Complete Information Transfer: Ensure all relevant information is transferred during clinical handovers.
SBAR Communication Tool
The SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) tool is an effective communication method for handovers, especially when a patient’s presentation and needs change.
Situation: A concise statement of the problem.
Background: Pertinent and brief information related to the situation.
Assessment: Analysis and consideration of options.
Recommendation: Action requested or recommended.
Roles and Responsibilities
Nurse in Charge: Prioritise and delegate tasks, ensure staff competency, and update care plans and risk assessments as needed.
Clinical Staff: Adhere to the company policy, follow procedures, and handle deviations or errors according to the Incident Reporting Policy.
Handover Content
Handover should cover the patient's past, present, and future care requirements:
Past: Historical information, diagnosis, treatment plan, special care needs, and circumstances leading to admission.
Present: Current presentation, changes to the treatment plan, significant changes before the shift, physical observations, and assessment results.
Future: Tasks to be completed, timing-specific jobs, and unfinished tasks from the previous shift.
Documentation and Legal Requirements
The format of handover is typically determined by the home or hospital and is increasingly recorded electronically within NHS hospitals. Nursing homes are also adopting electronic records, though some still use paper copies. These documents are legal records, retained for 10 years, and may be used in legal proceedings if necessary. Corrections on paper copies should be clearly marked and signed by the nurse or carer, ensuring the original information remains legible.
By adhering to these best practices, healthcare providers can ensure effective and seamless continuity of care, enhancing patient safety and satisfaction.
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