The application of checklist for nursing handover in emergency department

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of checklist for nursing handover in emergency department. Methods A total of 48 emergency department nurses were recruited by convenient sampling method. We implemented nursing bedside handover checklist four months, the quality of the nursing handover and nurses′ mastery of the patients′ condition and the patients′ satisfaction were compared before and after the implementation. Results After four-month intervention, the score of the nursing handover quality increased from 60.39±3.22 to 67.73±3.09, the difference was statistically significant (t=-14.377, P<0.01). The score of the nurses′ mastery of the patients′ condition increased from 23.89±2.34 to 27.08±1.82, and there was significant difference (t=-7.287, P<0.01). Patients′ satisfaction improved from 91.163% (111/121) to 96.67% (116/120), the difference was statistically significant (χ2=10.66, P<0.05). Conclusions Implementation of nursing bedside-handover checklist in emergency department can reduce individual cognitive defects, decrease the information missing of the nursing handover,improve the quality of nursing work and ensure the safety of patients. Key words: Checklist; Emergency department; Nursing handover