A New Approach to Handoff
A New Approach to Handoff
Shaunna Repa
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR 351: Transitions in Professional Nursing
Summer Session 2011
A New Approach to Handoff
Introduction
As Healthcare evolves with today’s ever changing society nurses in practice are increasingly challenged by patients and healthcare organizations to provide clearly measurable care of the highest quality (Holleman et al, 2006) They are able to enhance their knowledge and skills based on information gained from results of Evidence-Based Practice. Defining EBP gives a clearer understanding of why it can improve on patient outcome and improve nursing care. There are many steps to the process of evidence-base practice. That process works to improve patient outcome. Reviewing past styles, working together with patients and evaluating outcomes provides the best care for the patient.
Defining Evidence-Base Practice To start, it is necessary to define what is evidence-based nursing practice. There have been various definitions but the one that best describes it would be “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg& Haynes, 2000 p.1) This definition highlights the importance of combining the best available evidence with a nurses clinical judgment and his/her skills and has a direct outcome on patient care. Traditional method of trial and error approach toward patient care has been updated through the use of various methods of research since the start of EBP. The use of surveys, discharge call managers, and random discussions with patients are just a few methods used to gather research. Surveys have been noted to be one of the more favored information gathering tools. Results from information gathered from whatever method was chosen is put together into a model and joined with other information. All combined knowledge is then prepared then put into a model format that is now ready for implementing.
Shaunna Repa
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR 351: Transitions in Professional Nursing
Summer Session 2011
A New Approach to Handoff
Introduction
As Healthcare evolves with today’s ever changing society nurses in practice are increasingly challenged by patients and healthcare organizations to provide clearly measurable care of the highest quality (Holleman et al, 2006) They are able to enhance their knowledge and skills based on information gained from results of Evidence-Based Practice. Defining EBP gives a clearer understanding of why it can improve on patient outcome and improve nursing care. There are many steps to the process of evidence-base practice. That process works to improve patient outcome. Reviewing past styles, working together with patients and evaluating outcomes provides the best care for the patient.
Defining Evidence-Base Practice To start, it is necessary to define what is evidence-based nursing practice. There have been various definitions but the one that best describes it would be “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg& Haynes, 2000 p.1) This definition highlights the importance of combining the best available evidence with a nurses clinical judgment and his/her skills and has a direct outcome on patient care. Traditional method of trial and error approach toward patient care has been updated through the use of various methods of research since the start of EBP. The use of surveys, discharge call managers, and random discussions with patients are just a few methods used to gather research. Surveys have been noted to be one of the more favored information gathering tools. Results from information gathered from whatever method was chosen is put together into a model and joined with other information. All combined knowledge is then prepared then put into a model format that is now ready for implementing.
References: Caruso, E. (2007) The Evolution of Nurse-to-Nurse Bedside Report on a Medical-Surgical Cardiology Unit. MedSurg Nursing 16 (1) 17-22 Doody & Doody, (2011) Introducing Evidence into Nursing Practice: Using the IOWA Model. British Journel of Nursing, 20 (11) Majid; Foo; Luyt; Zhang; Theng; Cheng; Mokhtar; (2011) Adopting evidence-based practice in Clinical Decision Making: nurses’ perceptions, knowledge, and barriers. Journal of Medical Library Association, 99(3) 229-236 Scovell,S. (2010) Role of the Nurse-to-Nurse Handover in Patient Care. Nursing Standard 24 (20) 35-39 Watkins, S. (1997) Introducing Bedside Handover Reports. Professional Nurse 12 (4) 270-273