Effective nursing shift handover in critical care: A concept analysis

Abstract

To explore the concept of effective shift handover in critical care settings. Ineffective handover is one of the leading causes of adverse events in healthcare settings. Nursing shift handover in the intensive care unit (ICU) is more complex and detailed than in other in‐patient wards due to the complexity of medical issues experienced by ICU patients. It is, therefore, critical that nurses be able to conduct handover effectively. Despite the importance of handover, the definition and attributes of effective handover are not clearly understood. Walker and Avant's eight‐step approach to concept analysis. Effective handover in nursing is an interactive process between two nurses, resulting in the direct transfer of adequate patient‐specific recent information in a manner that creates a shared understanding of information. Its defining attributes are (1) content‐related and (2) process‐related attributes. The antecedents of effective handover are organizational support, interpersonal relationship, and work environment. Its consequences include patient and nurse satisfaction, improved care, and continuity of care. Empirical referents include several tools developed to measure some of the effective handover attributes. The definition provides a connotative meaning and is the first step toward concept validation and instrument development to measure effective handover practice in the ICU.