Bedside nursing handover: A case study (original) (raw)

A case study of six wards in two hospitals was undertaken to describe the structures, processes and perceptions of outcomes of bedside handover in nursing. A total of 532 bedside handovers were observed and 34 interviews with nurses conducted. Important structural elements related to the staff, patients, the handover sheet and the bedside chart. A number of processes prior to, during, and after the handover were implemented. They included processes for managing patients and their visitors, sensitive information, and the flow of communication for variable shift starting times. Other key processes identified were the implementation of a safety scan and medication check. The situation, background, assessment, recommendations (SBAR) approach was used only in specific circumstances.