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The Ins And Outs Of Change Of Shift Handoffs Between Nurses: A Communication Challenge, John S. Carroll, Michele Williams, Theresa M. Gallivan
The Ins And Outs Of Change Of Shift Handoffs Between Nurses: A Communication Challenge, John S. Carroll, Michele Williams, Theresa M. Gallivan
Michele Williams
Background: Communication breakdowns have been identified as a source of problems in complex work settings such as hospital-based healthcare. Methods: The authors conducted a multi-method study of change of shift handoffs between nurses, including interviews, survey, audio taping and direct observation of handoffs, posthandoff questionnaires, and archival coding of clinical records. Results: The authors found considerable variability across units, nurses and, surprisingly, roles. Incoming and outgoing nurses had different expectations for a good handoff: incoming nurses wanted a conversation with questions and eye contact, whereas outgoing nurses wanted to tell their story without interruptions. More experienced nurses abbreviated their reports …