The art of oral handovers: A participant observational study by undergraduate students in a hospital setting

Aims and objectives To explore the conditions for oral handovers between shifts in a hospital setting, and how these impact patient safety and quality of care. Background Oral handovers transfer patient information and nursing responsibilities between shifts. Short written summaries of patients can complement an oral handover. How to find the balance between a standardised protocol for handovers and tailoring variations to specific patients and situations is debated in the literature. Oral handovers provide time for discussion, debriefing and problem solving, which can lead to increased team cohesiveness. Design This study used a participant observation design. Method Fifty‐two undergraduate nursing students conducted 1100 hr of participant observation in seven different units in a hospital in Western Norway from 2014–2015. Field notes were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Six themes emerged from the data: (i) content and structure of the handover, (ii) awareness of nurses’ attitudes during oral handover, (iii) verbal and nonverbal communication, (iv) distractions, (v) relaying key information accurately, (vi) ensuring quality through oral handovers. Conclusion Developing a familiar structure for oral handovers and minimising the use of abbreviations and unfamiliar medical terms promote clarity and understanding. Limiting disturbances during handovers helps nurses focus on the content of the report. Awareness of one's attitudes and the use of verbal and nonverbal communication can enhance the quality of a handover. Time allocated for an oral handover should allow for professional discussions and student supervision. Involving nurse leaders in promoting the quality of oral handovers can impact the quality of care. Clinical implications Oral handovers serve many purposes, such as the safe transfer of patient information between shifts and staff education and debriefing, which enhance team cohesiveness.