Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Turner Rodney

Abstract

Handing over patient care at the end of a shift is a complex part of nursing practice that is commonly fraught with challenges. Ineffective communication continues to be the leading cause of sentinel events in the hospital setting. In response to this practice problem, this project involved the implementation of a standardized bedside reporting protocol in a surgical unit in line with the best available evidence. The overarching goal of this project was to determine how an end of shift reporting tool would impact communication, involvement of patient in care provision, and continuity of care at the bedside. The protocol was implemented in 2016, and involved the use of pre-test and post-test surveys to determine its effectiveness. The quasi-experimental project was guided by the Lewin's change theory concepts including unfreezing, change, and refreezing. An analysis of the findings of the survey revealed improvement in bedside reporting practices. The nurses had strong and positive perceptions of the program in improving communication, promoting patient safety, upholding nurse accountability, and promoting involvement of patient. There is a need for future projects to determine the impact of the program in improving patient satisfaction in various care settings. The positive social change of the current project results from improving bedside reporting practices to provide safe and patient-centered care in the health care agency.

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