Development and Effectiveness of a Standardized Hand‐Off Program Using the SWITCH Tool for OR Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized hand‐off program based on the SWITCH tool (surgical procedure, wet, instruments, tissue, counts, have you any questions?) and to examine its effectiveness in terms of self‐reported perceptions of hand‐off satisfaction, self‐efficacy, surgical nursing performance, and communication competence among OR staff members. This randomized controlled trial used a nonsynchronized control group with a pretest and posttest design. The nurses in the experimental group received one educational session and used the standardized hand‐off tool for four weeks. The control group performed hand offs using the usual method rather than a tool. After the intervention, self‐reported hand‐off satisfaction (P = .001), self‐efficacy (P = .005), and surgical nursing performance (P < .001) scores were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. A standardized hand‐off tool can improve nurse perceptions of satisfaction, self‐efficacy, and surgical nursing performance.