Nursing shift handover in surgical clinics: The interface between communication and patient safety

Abstract

Objective: to identify factors affecting communication between nursing teams during shift handover on surgical wards, and how it interfaces with patient safety. Method: this quantitative, observational study, with descriptive analysis, was conducted on nine surgical wards of a university hospital from April to July 2019, using an observation script and record form. Results: 54 nursing shift handovers were observed, and 123 nursing personnel participated. Of particular note among the factors analyzed were absence of a standardized handover instrument (85.19%) and the presence of noise (77.78%). Most of the participants (86.93%) pointed to missing information at handover as the factor most prejudicial to care. Conclusion: the factors that interfered with communication during handover were: noise, omission of information, absence of a standardized instrument, and staff lateness. It is believed that identifying these factors will help develop better strategies.