An observational study of patient handover communications among nurses on an oncology critical care unit

Background: Breakdown in communication i. common cause of errors in hospitals. Aim/Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and utilization of evidence-based recommendations for nurse-to-nurse shift handover on an oncology critical care unit. Design: Observational study. Methods: Nurses were provided education that integrated evidence-based recommendations for handover of care. Nursing shift report was observed for one month in 2015 and for one month in 2016. Results were evaluated for inclusion of 24 evidence-based essential elements for handover communication. Results: Total completeness of handover increased with 86.64% (. 38) in 2015 and 88.68% (. 35) in 2016. Interruptions during handover were positively correlated with length of handover (. 0.587. = 18. =.010), thus confirming the need for structured, more effective handover methods. Conclusions: Providing education, mentoring, and real-time feedback to motivated staff may lead to improvements in handover communication methods, yielding positive patient outcomes.