The opinions and experiences of nurses regarding the patient handoff process

The Opinions and Experiences of Nurses regarding the Patient Handoff Process The aim of present study is to reveal the opinions and experiences pf regarding the shift reporting process in a hospital where the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) handoff method is routinely undertaken. The descriptive study was performed in a private hospital between July and November 2016. Nurses who completed the prerequisite education program to use the SBAR method were considered eligible for the study. A total of 200 nurses (69.2% of whole nursing staff) were included in the study.A data collection survey consisting of two parts was used in the study. The context validity of the survey was approved by 10 different specialists and context validity index found to be .98. the form was prepared by investigator based on her personal observations and literature knowledge. Cronbach's alpha of the 15 items on the Likert-scale questions regarding the shift report process was found to be 74.9%. Stastical analyses included descriptives , independent samples t test, and ANOVA. Most of the nurses reported that were trained about the use of patient handoff and SBAR method process. For them, patient safety is a primary objective. They also reported that the handoff process was only done in report rooms. Approximately half of the nurses stated that they do the handoff without interruption. They had different views on what information about patient handoff and two-thirds said that they received adequate and correct information ; on the other hand, one third of the nurses stated that SBAR form ise useful for being reminded about patient information, maintaining and facilitating the safe handoff of patients. There is a need to improve the processes for the implementation of the SBAR method in patient handoff and to raise the awareness of nurses. In addition, it is recommended to conduct observational studies to demonstrate the application of the SBAR method and its patient-related outcomes. Keywords: Patient handoff, patient safety, SBAR, professional communication techniques.