For their study, researchers studied shift handoffs between nurses through interviews, surveys, audio taping and direct observation of handoffs, post-handoff questionnaires and archival coding of clinical records.
They found incoming and outgoing nurses had different expectations for a good handoff. For instance, incoming nurses wanted conversations with questions and eye contact. Comparatively, outgoing nurses wanted to explain patient care without any interruption. Researchers also suggested a power struggle between incoming and outgoing nurses. They concluded improvement efforts should focus on standardizing handoffs.
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