Patient handoff chapter 2
Does the person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care reduce the communication gap that causes delays in implementation of post -operative intervention compared to phone-to-phone transfer of care
Would you like us to write this nursing essay from scratch? Please click here.
Meanwhile, you can review our perfect nursing essay sample written by nursing writers.
Patient Handoff
Student Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Course:
Instructor:
Date:
Patient Handoff
A patient handoff is a process that allows delivering caregiver to transfer all pertinent information and responsibility for the care of the patient to the accepting caregiver through effective communication (Trevino & Dearmon 2018). The handing off of patients is necessary for continuity of care and safe transfer to another level of care or facility. Ineffective handoffs may contribute to failures and gaps in patient safety, including wrong-site surgery, medication errors, and patient deaths. According to Webster, et al., (2022), handoffs between caregivers should be clear, concise, and consistent, ensuring that new information concerning a patient is transferred accurately from one caregiver to another. Handoffs may involve person-to-person or phone–to–phone transfer of care and communication is a key aspect during handoffs. This paper will discuss whether the person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care reduces the communication gap that causes delays in implementation of post-operative intervention as compared to phone-to-phone transfer of care.
Person-to-Person Post-Surgical Transfer of Care Vs Phone-to-Phone Transfer of Care in Reducing the Communication Gap
Muller, et al., (2018), posit that communication is very important during a patient handoff. Accurate and adequate communication of information on a patient from one member of the healthcare team to another is an important aspect of care. The communication ensures patient safety during the transfer of care and implementation of the post-operative intervention. On the other hand, communication gap is defined as a delay or misunderstanding between communicating parties. Communication gaps in the handoff process can have adverse consequences in a healthcare setting (Muller et al., 2018). The method of communication is one factor that determines the quality of the transfer of care.
In comparison to a phone-to-phone transfer of care, person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care is more effective in reducing the communication gap that causes delays in the implementation of the post-operative intervention. First, the process of a person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care is faster than the process of phone-to-phone transfer of care. The reason is that it takes less time when nurses communicate directly and they do not have to rely on each other’s recollection of events. Consequently, person-to-person transfer of care decreases the time it takes to implement the post-operative intervention. Secondly, person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care is more engaging and ensures a thorough transfer of all relevant information (Webster, et al., 2022). In-person transfer of care, for instance, allows for the receiving caregiver to ask as many questions as possible, which may not be feasible in a phone call. When the caregiver asks all the necessary questions, it eliminates uncertainty and the need for back-and-forth conversations between the caregivers. Thirdly, when a post-operative transfer of care occurs in person, there is no confusion about the interaction (Talley, et al., 2019). By communicating directly, caregivers can avoid miscommunication about post-operative plans because their words are heard verbatim. According to Talley, et al., (2019), it is easier to make an error in relaying information during a phone handoff, than in person.
The fourth reason is that person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care facilitates a better understanding of key information than the phone-to-phone transfer of care. In-person, for instance, the delivering caregiver can use pictures to explain aspects of the postoperative intervention. This measure may not be possible on a phone call. Thus, an accepting caregiver in an in-person transfer of care will have a better understanding of the information, enabling them to be faster and more efficient in progressing with the caregiving roles. Lastly, person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care reduces the communication gap by minimizing the time spent by caregivers on the phone attempting to clarify information. Person-to-person communication facilitates an immediate response to a request by the acceptance caregiver (Saag, et al., 2018). This translates to accurate and timely clarification and less time spent on the phone with no positive outcome as far as patient care is concerned.
Conclusion
Patient handoff is a process that allows the delivering caregiver to transfer all pertinent information and responsibility for the care of the patient to the accepting caregiver through effective communication. Handoffs may involve person-to-person or phone–to–phone transfer of care and communication is a key aspect during handoffs. Communication is very important during a patient handoff as if adequate it ensures patient safety during the transfer of care and implementation of the post-operative intervention. Though, there are communication gaps in the handoff process that have adverse consequences in a healthcare setting. The gap can be reduced more effectively by person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care compared to phone-to-phone transfer of care. Reasons are because, for example, the process of a person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care is faster than the process of a phone-to-phone transfer of care. Also, when a post-operative transfer of care occurs in person, there is no confusion about the interaction. Besides, person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care reduces the communication gap by minimizing the time spent by caregivers on the phone attempting to clarify information. Consequently, healthcare providers should be quick to adopt person-to-person post-surgical transfer of care to cut the communication gap that triggers delays in the implementation of the post-operative intervention. Patient’s wellness is guaranteed as a result.
References
Müller, M., Jürgens, J., Redaèlli, M., Klingberg, K., Hautz, W. E., & Stock, S. (2018). Impact of the communication and patient hand-off tool SBAR on patient safety: a systematic review. BMJ open, 8(8), e022202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022202
Saag, H. S., Chen, J., Denson, J. L., Jones, S., Horwitz, L., & Cocks, P. M. (2018). Warm handoffs: a novel strategy to improve End-of-Rotation care transitions. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33, 116-119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-017-4145-4
Talley, D. A., Dunlap, E., Silverman, D., Katzer, S., Huffines, M., Dove, C., & Tisherman, S. A. (2019). Improving postoperative handoff in a surgical intensive care unit. Critical care nurse, 39(5), e13-e21. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2019523
Webster, K. L., Keebler, J. R., Lazzara, E. H., Chaparro, A., Greilich, P., & Fagerlund, A. (2022). Handoffs and teamwork: a framework for care transition communication. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 48(6-7), 343-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2022.04.001
White-Trevino, K., & Dearmon, V. (2018). Transitioning nurse handoff to the bedside: engaging staff and patients. Nursing administration quarterly, 42(3), 261-268. DOI:10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000298