The aim of this Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) project is to improve the communication and collaboration among the nurses at Rosewood Care Center’s sub-acute unit. The implementation of bedside reporting to standardize the process of shift handoffs will be part of an evidence-based nursing quality improvement project of the unit. The goal is to develop a change in nursing practice that will ensure the delivery of safe, quality, and effective patient care. The project focuses on the CNL’ core curriculum of Quality Improvement and Safety under the role of an Outcomes manager, who integrates data, knowledge, and information to assess and promote positive patient outcomes (AACN, 2013).
The CNL functions within the microsystem …show more content…
Yet, communication and collaboration were cited as the leading causes of patient harm across healthcare facilities (King & Gerard, 2016). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2013) reported that at least 70 % of patient adverse events are attributed to communication breakdowns between caregivers. Most of the nurse-to-nurse communications occur during the change-of-shift reports, between the outgoing and incoming nurses. This especial moment is when the outgoing nurse transfers critical information pertinent to the patient including lab results, new medication orders, new recommendations from other disciplines, and any changes in patient’s condition. It is imperative that at this moment, the transfer of information must be complete, accurate, and consistent. Standardizing the process of shift handoffs through bedside reporting can help improve the effectiveness of nurse-to-nurse communication, which is essential in ensuring patient …show more content…
Effective transfer of patient information from nurse-to-nurse is vital to ensure safety and positive patient outcomes. Wakefield, Ragan, Brandt, and Tregnago (2012) emphasized that bedside reporting has been linked to better patient involvement, improved effectiveness of communication among nurses, and enhanced nursing teamwork and accountability. By relocating the shift handoffs from the nurse’s station to the patient’s bedside, the patients can be more involved with their care, the nurses are better able to prioritize their tasks, and the nurses will no longer have to rely on the report given to them because both outgoing and incoming nurses can compare their assessments. The goal of the project is to develop a standardized approach to nursing shift handoffs, which will be achieved by implementing the process of bedside shift reporting in the sub-acute unit. The specific aim statement of the CNL project is to have 80% participation of all the nurses with bedside shift reporting, improve nurse satisfaction score with shift handoffs by 25% within 6 months. The overall global aim is to improve the nurse-to-nurse communication and collaboration during shift handoffs at Rosewood Care Center’s sub-acute unit. Improving the nurse-to-nurse communication will lead to improved patient care, reduction in errors and near misses, greater nurse satisfaction, and eventually improved