Safe Patient Hand-Offs
The primary objective of a hand-off is to provide accurate and relevant information about a patient's care, treatment and interventions, current condition, and any recent or anticipated changes in condition. The information communicated during a hand-off must be accurate in order to meet patient safety goals.
In healthcare there are numerous types of patient hand-offs, including but not limited to nursing shift changes, physicians transferring complete responsibility for a patient, physicians transferring on-call responsibility, nursing hand-off from the emergency department to an inpatient medical surgical unit, and coverage for breaks.
Because there is a possibility of communication failures the Joint Commission implemented safe patient hand-offs as a National Patient Safety Goal. In order to provide excellent nursing care to those entrusted to use we must have a standardized approach to 'hand-off" communication, including an opportunity to ask and answer questions.
In healthcare there are numerous types of patient hand-offs, including but not limited to nursing shift changes, physicians transferring complete responsibility for a patient, physicians transferring on-call responsibility, nursing hand-off from the emergency department to an inpatient medical surgical unit, and coverage for breaks.
Because there is a possibility of communication failures the Joint Commission implemented safe patient hand-offs as a National Patient Safety Goal. In order to provide excellent nursing care to those entrusted to use we must have a standardized approach to 'hand-off" communication, including an opportunity to ask and answer questions.
Staff Nurses demonstrate a hand-off
This video depicts how a new graduate nurse provides a hand-off at end of shift. Think about what went well, what could be done better, and what would you do differently next time.
A big thank you for Robyn Rander, BSN RN and Dana Stob, BSN RN for their assistance and dedication to my hallmark project. I am forever in your gratitude.
A big thank you for Robyn Rander, BSN RN and Dana Stob, BSN RN for their assistance and dedication to my hallmark project. I am forever in your gratitude.
SBAR hand-off form
This form was developed by a group of staff nurses at Saint Mary's to streamline the process of report. This process was developed not only to communicate effectively but also to satisfy the Joint Commission's requirement of communicating effectively with caregivers. Thank you to the group of staff nurses who worked on this project in 2007.
SBAR Powerpoint
Below is a powerpoint presentation that expains in more detail what SBAR is.
safe_patient_hand-offs.pptx | |
File Size: | 184 kb |
File Type: | pptx |