Change of Shift hand off- to better pt care

[fortomorrow]

Having a brain freeze about this. Can only come up with record or write in a book for report so the shift before can answer call lights until the next shift can relieve after report. For the noise factor having report in a room away from the halls.

You are a nurse in a bust 42 bed telemetry unit. Both the staff nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) work 12 hour shifts. Change of shift hand-off report occurs at 0700 and 1900 daily. During the staff meeting, the nurse manager challenges everyone to think of ways to improve patient satisfaction. You note that patients are dissatisfied during the change-of-shift times when the unit hallway becomes crowded and noisy. Most nurses and UAP’s are not available to answer lights and attend to patient needs during this time.

What are some suggestions you can make to improve patient care during the change of shift hand-off report?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

• Each nurse from the off going shift can tape their report for the oncoming shift so all the staff is available during the change of shift to attend to the patients while the oncoming shift is getting report.
  
• If live, face-to-face report is done, only one nurse from the off going shift is to give report to the oncoming shift at a time so the rest of the off going shift is still on the floor to attend to the patients.
  
• RNs only go into report while CNAs stay out on the floor to attend to patient needs. After the hand-off, the CNAs can be given report by the oncoming RNs along with specific assignments for them.