Standardization of the transfer of nursing responsibilities

Handover is a known “trouble spot” in terms of patient safety. As nurses, we take part in a transfer of care each time we transfer care to a different provider, whether it’s a shift change, a transfer to a unique floor or unit, or a transfer to a different facility. Errors that occur during this time may end up from a wide range of barriers, a lot of that are human aspects, starting from staff shortages and interruptions to fatigue and knowledge or sensory overload.

The Joint Commission requires a standardized approach to patient transfers; that is one among the National Patient Safety Goals (National Patient Safety Goal 2006 2E). During her presentation “Effective Communication in Information Transfer: The Key to Patient Safety” on the Nursing2013 Symposium, JoAnne Phillips, MSN, RN, CCRN, CCNS, CPPS, shared several acronyms that will be used to assist guide well-organized information transfer and minimize errors and omissions when transferring patients.

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What are the standards for transferring nursing staff where you’re employed?

Bibliography:

Cairns, L., Dudjak, L., Hoffman, R., & Lorenz, H. (2013). Using the bedside change report back to improve the efficiency of change handover. (3).

Riesenberg, L., Leisch, J., Cunningham, J. (2010). Nursing handover: A scientific review of the literature. (4).

Schroeder, S. (2006). PATIENT SAFETY: Picking up the pace: New shift report template. (10).