Author/Authors :
TUGRUL, Emel Adnan Menderes Universitesi - Aydin Saglik Yuksekokulu, turkey , KHORSHID, Leyla Ege Universitesi - Hemsirelik Fakultesi - Hemsirelik Esaslari AD, Turkey
Abstract :
Handovers, which has critical importance at qualified nursing care and patient safety are functional process that are used by nurses between shift exchanges every day. Information about patients is transferred systematically by nurses to another nurse during shift exchanges at handovers. The main target of handovers is transferring the information between shift crews correctly, clearly and systematically for nursing. Thus, the information about the patients are not let to be forgotten or gotten lost and the percentage of adverse events can be kept at low levels. During this process, the general conditions of patients are reviewed and incomplete missions are transferred to next shift. Besides, handovers are one of the increasing factors of patient s happiness.Handovers are generally made orally. For that reason, the communication between nurses has a key role on this process. Lack of communication at clinical handover may cause unnecessary and misinformation to be transferred and also can make time not to be used efficiently. Handovers are classified as bedside handover, verbal handover, non-verbal handover and handover with record. Besides, at all kind of handovers, handover models, as guides for nurses, are used that ensures all steps are reviewed one by one. Checked lists which are used on this handover models make documentation of patient nursing available. Control lists contain information about the general situation of the patient, observations, treatments, situations that threat patient s safety.The hospital managements and clinics have to include themselves to this process by choosing most suitable or by creating their own handover model. Education seminars must be organized for nurses to teach how important handovers are for both patients and themselves. This process must be run efficiently.
