Issue 36: What are the benefits and challenges of "bedside" nursing handovers?
In acute hospital settings nursing handover (also known as ‘change of shift’ or ‘nursing report’) has become the traditional and dominant form of communication between nurses caring for patients on one shift to the next. A substantial body of nursing research appraising nurse handover has evolved and the necessity of such handover seems undisputed for enabling nurses to exchange information. The literature identifies four main types of nurse handover: bedside, verbal, taped and nonverbal. However, the impact of the various handover methods on nursing care and patient outcomes remains unclear.
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