Passing the Baton: Effective hand-off at the bedside

Purpose:
Implement a safe and efficient nurse to nurse handoff at the patients bedside including the patient actively in their care. Implement a tool that consistently provides patient information necessary to safety and efefctively care for patients

Significance:
Many deaths occur as a result of improper hand-off between care givers. As part of a corporate intiative titled "Bundle One" nurse bed side reporting was introduced along with Hourly Rounding, First do not Harm, Ask me 2 & Teach Back in an effort to improve outcomes, safety, and Health Literacy

Strategy and Implementation:
A team of bedside nurse champions were identified and participated in a training program. This team implemented a roving inservice to educated the nurse on the process which was prefaced with an online training module. The bedside nurse champions where allotted time out of staffing to develop a tool that would provide as the guide for hand-off in the SBARQ format. Over a 2-3 week period the nurses on the units gave suggestions and feedback regarding the tool. The go-live date was set, and the transition went smoothly. The nurse managers and educators adjusted their hours to be present consistently in the beginning and sporadically now since the initiative has become part of practice.

Evaluation:
The effectiveness is monitored by multiple patient satisfaction questions including management of pain, perception of commununication, overall quality of care and teamwork.

Implications for Practice:
Nurse to nurse bedside reporting is an intiative that is required to actively involve patients and families in their care while providing accurate and appropriate hand-off communication.