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Exploring the structure and organization of information within nursing clinical handovers
Author(s) -
Johnson Maree,
Jefferies Diana,
Nicholls Daniel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of nursing practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1440-172X
pISSN - 1322-7114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-172x.2012.02059.x
Subject(s) - prioritization , handover , identification (biology) , presentation (obstetrics) , patient safety , nursing , medicine , plan (archaeology) , patient care , information system , medical emergency , process management , business , computer science , health care , engineering , history , computer network , botany , archaeology , radiology , economics , electrical engineering , biology , economic growth
Clinical handover is the primary source of patient information for nurses; however, inadequate information transfer compromises patient safety. We investigated the content and organization of information conveyed at 81 handovers. A structure that captures and presents the information transferred at handover emerged: identification of the patient and clinical risks, clinical history/presentation, clinical status, care plan and outcomes/goals of care ( ICCCO ). This approach covers essential information while allowing for prioritization of information when required. Further research into the impact of ICCCO on patient safety is in progress.