Handoff of patient information during shift report between nurses is a time of risk and liability. A quality improvement project was conducted on a 23-bed inpatient unit to measure the value of a bedside change-of-shift report in improving the effectiveness of shift report. Indicators including end-of-shift overtime, call light usage, nurse perceptions, and patient satisfaction were impacted by the change in process.
The aim of this project was to describe hospital nurses' work activity through observations, nurses' perceptions of time spent on tasks, and electronic health record time stamps. Nurses' attitudes toward technology and patients' perceptions and satisfaction with nurses' time at the bedside were also examined. Activities most frequently observed included documenting in and reviewing the electronic health record. Nurses' perceptions of time differed significantly from observations, and most patients rated their satisfaction with nursing time as excellent or good.
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