Nursing bedside handover in an intensive care unit with a mixed structure: Nursing professionals' perception

Aim The main objective is to determine if the infrastructure of critical care units influences the perception of professionals using this handover method. Background Nursing bedside handover is considered a safe information transfer method that can help reduce communication errors; however, it has some disadvantages expressed by health professionals and patients, related to confidentiality, stress and less rest. Methods Qualitative descriptive study. The perception of nursing professionals who work in a critical care unit with a mixed structure (open and closed boxes) in a tertiary care hospital was evaluated through a semi-structured interview with a battery of common questions (prepared after literature review) and spontaneous questions according to the objectives of the study. Results Five thematic areas related to the study objectives were observed: patient safety, message content, confidentiality/privacy, intimacy/rest/noise, and patient participation. Conclusions Nursing bedside handover improves safe communication between professionals, because it avoids errors or distractions by double or triple checking (if we include the patient) as well as empowering the patient and including him in his recovery. Carrying it out in closed boxes increases confidentiality and improves intimacy as there are no other patients or relatives nearby who can hear the message. However, the place or shift where the handover is performed does not interfere with the effectiveness of the communication of the message. The morning shift is the busiest, which could affect the patient's rest, a fact that could be solved if it is carried out in a closed box. Implications for Nursing Management Carrying out the handover in individual boxes in intensive care units would provide greater privacy to the patient and reduce the perception of external noise, contributing to the reduction of interruptions and the increase of the patient's rest. It is also a key element in patient safety through verification by double or triple check-up, the structuring of the message and the visualization of devices presented by the patient. In addition, it will allow the professional to start a process of early humanization and participation of the patient in the health process.