Factors Affecting Quality of Nursing Handover among Staff Nurses and Its Relation to Patients’ Safety in Intensive Care Units

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Head Nurse at Tanta International Teaching Hospital

2 Assistant Professor, Nursing Administration, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University

Abstract

Background: Intensive Care Unit ICU﴿ staff nurses role includes maintaining the continuity of
patients care around the clock. High
quality nursing handover helps them to accomplish their role
efficiently.
Aim: This study aimed to assess factors affecting quality of nursing handover among
staff nurses and its relation to patients’ safety in ICUs
. Subjects and Method: Design: A
descriptive correlational study design was used to achieve the aim of the present study.
Setting: The
study was conducted at Tanta International Teaching Hospital (ICUs).
Subjects: 255 staff nurses
were involved in the stud
y. Tools: Two tools were used to collect the data. Tool I: Factors
Affecting Quality of Nursing Handover in ICUs Questionnaire.
Tool II: Patients’ Safety Issues in
ICUs Questionnaire.
Results: ICU staff nurses' highest mean percent of factors affecting nursing
handover process quality were regarding relations with outgoing nurse 86.66, last handover

experience 80.64 and unit safety climate 71.18. According to total ICU staff nurses’ perceptions

about patients’ safety, 51.8% perceived a fair level in thei
r work environment. 53.8% of staff nurses
perceived a good level of patients’ safety issues in their supervisors' expectations and actions

promoting safety.
Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between total factors affecting
quality of nursing han
dover process and patients' safety issues in ICUs. Recommendations:
Hospital management need to conduct continuous updating of handover policies and strategies to

ensure its efficiency to keep patients' safety
. Also, ICU staff nurses require allocating enough time
every shift for the handover process.