Tools for RN-Patient Care Assistant communication?

[EGVnurse]

Hi! I'm trying to implement a new communication tool for RN's and Patient Care Technicians (PCT) on my unit. Right now we have a pretty ineffective tool (in my opinion) where the night PCT's pass around one sheet of paper with a list of all the patients and the night nurses fill in how often VS should be taken, if the pt needs accuchecks and how often, strict I&O's/foley, daily weights, chlorhexidine baths, skin issues/turn q2, falls precautions, etc. This list is then posted at the nurse's station for the PCT's to check. We are usually understaffed when it comes to PCT's, there may be 2 tech's for our 30 bed unit (yikes). Additionally, I rarely see RN's giving report to PCT's at the beginning of the shift.

As you can imagine, we have been having issues with things not being done or not being documented or not being communicated to the PCT or to the RN. The system we have right now has room for improvement but I don't want to make the lives of our awesome PCT's harder than they already are. I plan to gather their input on an improvement idea but I'm having trouble thinking up better methods and there isn't much research out there to support any specific tool or method.

I'm curious what tools/methods you use on your units to communicate between the RN and tech/assistant/SNA. Thanks!