Bedside Handoff Report to Improve Communication: PACU and Receiving Medical/Surgical Unit

In 2016, when a surgical patient met PACU discharge criteria and was ready for transport to the medical/surgical nursing unit, the PACU nurses provided handoff report via phone call to the receiving nurse. The PACU nurses spent time away from the bedside to wait for the receiving nurses to answer calls while the medical/surgical nursing staff experienced repeated interruptions. This resulted in delays in transport, conflicts among caregivers, and risks to patient safety.

Source: Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing - July 31, 2019 Category: Nursing Authors: Michele Popik, Patricia Fritzsche, Michele Hurless Tags: ASPAN National Conference Abstract Source Type: research