For safer patient care, does the use of a standardized written shift report reduce unsafe patient care compared to oral report during a nursing shift change?
During a change of shift, many important details about a patient could be left out due to a couple of reasons. I was able to identify this problem during a previous clinical rotation. When observing the interaction between two nurses during a shift report change, a lot of unanswered questions about the patient and procedures performed during the previous shift became apparent. When we started our morning rounds, it became clear that the previous nurse failed to complete vital tasks during their shift that should’ve been communicated immediately during the shift report. Also, critical …show more content…
Despite the reality that many patients require complex treatment protocols from health care providers, little attention is paid to understand the appropriate mechanisms for transferring information at interface points. Nurses play a major role in transferring accountability in these boundaries of care (Mayor et al, 2012). As such, change of shift reporting is of paramount importance in the field of nursing. Therefore, it is necessary to give not just an oral report but also a written one at the end of every shift. This is because it will enhance better patient safety since there is no room for forgetting information that would have otherwise missed due to oral reporting. All the information about the patient is properly recorded and as such, no room for omitting necessary information. The report is given as outgoing nurses discuss with the oncoming nurses about the progress of the patient, and changes that may have occurred during that nurse’s …show more content…
As such, there will be more time accorded to the patients. The information is precise and relevant making the nurses work easier, and as such, the feeling of satisfaction that is reflected on the nurses overall performance. With a standardized report, nurses have clear information about their patients, the patients are able to meet the nurses sooner, nurses can leave work on time and the hospital can save on the amount of extra money used for paying for overtime. A standardized report also ensures that the patient’s information remains confidential as compared to an oral one where a third party without authority to the patient’s information could listen in on the conversation. Part of a nurse’s work involves the communication of patients’ details and treatment information to ensure the smooth transition of care (Halm, 2013). These measures will enhance the future care and safety for patients during their hospital duration. It will provide complete details on patient conditions and alleviate the burden of stress from oncoming nurses accepting the responsibility of patients care for the next shift. This information allowed me to gain a better insight on the nursing process and thinking about the information I need to receive during a shift report. Even if s standardized template for effective nurse/patient handoff is not required by the hospital, one
During a change of shift, many important details about a patient could be left out due to a couple of reasons. I was able to identify this problem during a previous clinical rotation. When observing the interaction between two nurses during a shift report change, a lot of unanswered questions about the patient and procedures performed during the previous shift became apparent. When we started our morning rounds, it became clear that the previous nurse failed to complete vital tasks during their shift that should’ve been communicated immediately during the shift report. Also, critical …show more content…
Despite the reality that many patients require complex treatment protocols from health care providers, little attention is paid to understand the appropriate mechanisms for transferring information at interface points. Nurses play a major role in transferring accountability in these boundaries of care (Mayor et al, 2012). As such, change of shift reporting is of paramount importance in the field of nursing. Therefore, it is necessary to give not just an oral report but also a written one at the end of every shift. This is because it will enhance better patient safety since there is no room for forgetting information that would have otherwise missed due to oral reporting. All the information about the patient is properly recorded and as such, no room for omitting necessary information. The report is given as outgoing nurses discuss with the oncoming nurses about the progress of the patient, and changes that may have occurred during that nurse’s …show more content…
As such, there will be more time accorded to the patients. The information is precise and relevant making the nurses work easier, and as such, the feeling of satisfaction that is reflected on the nurses overall performance. With a standardized report, nurses have clear information about their patients, the patients are able to meet the nurses sooner, nurses can leave work on time and the hospital can save on the amount of extra money used for paying for overtime. A standardized report also ensures that the patient’s information remains confidential as compared to an oral one where a third party without authority to the patient’s information could listen in on the conversation. Part of a nurse’s work involves the communication of patients’ details and treatment information to ensure the smooth transition of care (Halm, 2013). These measures will enhance the future care and safety for patients during their hospital duration. It will provide complete details on patient conditions and alleviate the burden of stress from oncoming nurses accepting the responsibility of patients care for the next shift. This information allowed me to gain a better insight on the nursing process and thinking about the information I need to receive during a shift report. Even if s standardized template for effective nurse/patient handoff is not required by the hospital, one