how bedside report improves patient outcome

by Peggie Schroeder PhD 7 min read

Bedside shift report: Nurses opinions based on their experiences

28 hours ago  · Nurse bedside shift report (BSR) has been identified as the gold standard because outcomes reported in the literature indicate it improves patient and family satisfaction, nursing quality and patient safety better than the traditional hand‐off outside the patient's room (Grimshaw et al., 2016). BSR occurs at the patient's bedside where patients and their families can participate in the hand‐off of critical content. >> Go To The Portal


Bedside report is an evidence-based practice; it is described extensively in the literature as a strategy to improve communication, and ultimately patient care. The literature overwhelmingly supports that bedside report increases patient outcomes and patient and nurse satisfaction by establishing trust, enhancing communication, and facilitating information sharing with nurses, patients, and their families; thus, patients feel that they are actively involved in their care [2,3]. The literature suggests that there is a link between bedside report and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores, specifically, the communication dimension. The communication dimension for patient satisfaction includes patient communication with nurses and other providers delivering care. Patients feel that the staff were respectful to them and worked better as a team when they participated in the plan of care.

The benefits of bedside reporting are numerous and include increased patient involvement and understanding of care, decreased patient and family anxiety, decreased feelings of “abandonment” at shift changes, increased accountability of nurses, increased teamwork and relationships among nurses, and decreased potential ...

Full Answer

Can bedside shift report improve patient outcomes?

Most importantly, research indicates that bedside shift report, or BSR, can improve patient outcomes. What is Bedside Shift Report? BSR is defined as “the change-of-shift report between the offgoing nurse and the oncoming nurse that takes place at the bedside. This makes patients a part of the process in the delivery of care.”

How do you write a bedside report on a patient?

It should start outside of the patient's room covering the general information history what's occurred, then kind of go through a head‐to‐toe assessment of what's going on. Then you go into the room and you can finish the bedside report at the bed, looking at all of the things that you might have noted.

How to achieve acceptance and sustainability of nurse bedside shift report?

The concepts that have been used in the literature for achieving acceptance and sustainability of nurse bedside shift report follow Everett Rogers' five-step approach to adoption of innovations: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation.28

How do I view the text in a bedside shift report?

To see the text, go to Word Options, select Display, and choose the Hidden text box. Bedside Shift Report Checklist -- Checklist that highlights the elements required to complete bedside shift report.

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Why is it important to do bedside report?

Bedside shift reports are viewed as an opportunity to reduce errors and important to ensure communication between nurses and communication. Models of bedside report incorporating the patient into the triad have been shown to increase patient engagement and enhance caregiver support and education.

Why is bedside report important in nursing?

Bedside shift report (BSR) enables accurate and timely communication between nurses, includes the patient in care, and is paramount to the delivery of safe, high quality care.

What are the benefits of bedside handover?

A real safety benefit of bedside handover is the fact that visualising the patient may prompt nurses to recall important information that should be handed over and it may also trigger oncoming staff to ask additional questions. Further, patients have the opportunity to clarify content.

HOW care improving patient outcomes?

5 Ways to Improve Patient OutcomesLead with Language Your Patient Understands. Effective communication skills are an important skill in your toolbox. ... Help Patients, Providers Set Clear Guidelines and Expectations. ... Identify and Work With Patient Advocates. ... Don't Let Care End at the Hospital Door. ... Encourage Transparency.

Does bedside reporting increased patient safety?

Research concluded that conducting bedside reporting leads to increased patient safety, patient satisfaction, nurse satisfaction, prevented adverse events, and allowed nurses to visualize patients during the shift change. In addition, medication errors decreased by 80% and falls by 100%.

How do I improve my bedside handover?

Yet a simple strategy to improve communication is to bring the report to the patient's bedside. This facilitates earlier connection between the oncoming nurse and the patient and presents an opportunity for the patient to ask questions and clarify information with both nurses.

Why bedside handover is an expectation in contemporary care?

Bedside handover is based on patient-centred care, where patients participate in communicating relevant and timely information for care planning. Patient input reduces care fragmentation, miscommunication-related adverse events, readmissions, duplication of services and enhances satisfaction and continuity of care.

What is bedside report nursing?

Nurse bedside shift report, or handoff, has been defined in the literature as a process of exchanging vital patient information, responsibility, and accountability between the off-going and oncoming nurses in an effort to ensure safe continuity of care and the delivery of best clinical practices.2-6 There are different ...

Why is shift report important in nursing?

Most importantly, communication supports the foundation of patient care. So, hand-off reporting during shift change is a critical process that is crucial in protecting a patient's safety. Throughout the hand-off report, it is vital to provide accurate, up-to-date, and pertinent information to the oncoming nurse.

Why is it important to improve patient outcomes?

Use of patient‐reported outcomes is an essential aspect for improving clinical care, because it enhances the connections among doctors and with patients.

How effective nursing care improves patient outcomes?

Nurses play a major role in improving patient outcomes. They can put patients at ease by delivering compassionate care. When patients feel comfortable with nurses, they are more likely to open up about their level of pain and discomfort.

How can nurses make a difference in improving patient outcomes?

Nurses can make an incredible difference in the quality of care given to patients all across the country. By educating communities, advocating for patients' rights and offering emotional support in the most troubling of times, nurses don't just help improve patient outcomes, they can literally help change lives.

What is centralized report?

Centralized reports, from the patient perspective. Most patients want to be part of their healthcare experience. But many complain that report occurring away from the bedside makes them feel alone, like they’re just another cog in the healthcare wheel.

Where is a BSR carried out?

In many facilities, bedside shift report (BSR) is carried out behind closed doors, either at the nurse’s station or in a private office. Some healthcare organizations even allow nurses to record their reports for the next shift to listen to later. But a growing body of research indicates that shift report away from the bedside isn’t ideal for safe, ...

Is it safe to shift a report away from the bedside?

But a growing body of research indicates that shift report away from the bedside isn’t ideal for safe, effective patient care. Patients don’t feel included when report is centralized, and errors leading to patient harm are more likely to occur.

How does BSR work?

How (and why) BSR works. By definition, BSR is the change-of-shift report between the offgoing nurse and the oncoming nurse that takes place at the bedside. This makes patients a part of the process in the delivery of their care.

What is a SBAR board?

The SBAR communication tool can be adapted for BSR as follows. A dry erase board placed in the patient's line of vision can be used to convey information such as the names of nurses and healthcare providers and to highlight the patient's goal for the day.

How does BSR help nurses?

The advantages for the nurse begin with the efficiency of report, which streamlines all pertinent information and saves nursing time. BSR improves staff's teamwork by giving nurses the opportunity to work together at the bedside, ensuring accountability. Using a standardized format reduces the risk of miscommunication because it overcomes different communication styles. Better communication also helps the oncoming nurse prioritize assignments according to need. The nurse is informed about the patient earlier in the shift because report time is shortened. Nurses are always on the same page during the report because they're both looking at the same information at the same time. 12

Why is BSR important in nursing?

Because nurses are the first line of defense when it comes to patient safety, BSR is an integral part of the care plan. The nurse is accountable for the communication that occurs during the change-of-shift report.

How many people died from BSR in 2010?

According to the Inspector General Office, Health and Human Services Department, less-than-competent hospital care contributed to the deaths of 180,000 Medicare patients in 2010. However, the real number may be higher: According to one estimate, between 210,000 and 440,000 patients who go to ...

What is the AHRQ?

The AHRQ has an evidence-based guide to help hospitals work with patients and families to improve quality and safety. This guide has four strategies that help hospitals partner with patients. Strategy 3 states: “The goal of the Nurse Bedside Shift Report strategy is to help ensure the safe handoff of care between nurses by involving the patient and family. The patient defines who their family is and who can take part in bedside shift report.” 7

Why are nurses always on the same page during the report?

Nurses are always on the same page during the report because they're both looking at the same information at the same time. 12. The patient benefits from BSR too.

What is Bedside Shift Report?

BSR is defined as “the change-of-shift report between the offgoing nurse and the oncoming nurse that takes place at the bedside. This makes patients a part of the process in the delivery of care.” Although BSR is a relatively new concept, there have been facilities who have performed BSR for almost 40 years.

Bedside Shift Report – the Rewards and Evidence

Though many nurses have concerns when BSR is initiated, most nurses find that BSR is a great way to interact with their coworkers and with their patients as it promotes teamwork and increases patient satisfaction. This is often because of communication – during traditional nursing report, information may be left out or forgotten.

BSR Concerns

Despite its benefits, many nurses have concerns with BSR. For example, BSR can be difficult when the patient is sleeping. The question arises whether to wake the sleeping patient or allow them to continue to rest. This can be amended by discussing BSR with the patient immediately upon admission and asking them their preference.

How to Perform BSR

Each facility will need to implement a BSR that works best for their staff. In order to do this, it is recommended to begin with one unit as a pilot. Starting BSR on a smaller scale allows for staff to determine what works – and what doesn’t.

About The Author

Krystina is a 30-something RN, BSN, CDE who has worked in a variety of nursing disciplines, from telemetry to allergy/immunotherapy to most recently, diabetes education. She is also a writer and has enjoyed expanding her writing career over the past several years. She balances her careers as a nurse and a writer with being a wife and a mother.

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