EXPLORING NURSES’ PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES DURING SHIFT CHANGE HANDOVER IN A SINGAPORE ACUTE TERTIARY HOSPITAL: A DESCRIPTIVE QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Aim: To explore nurses’ experiences and perceptions of shift change handover in the general wards of an acute tertiary hospital in Singapore. Background: Shift change handover is the transfer of responsibility and accountability of patient care between healthcare professionals. It is integral for accurate patient information to be transferred, to ensure patient safety and continuity of care. There were many occasions when the handover process was incomplete due to the lack of time. This loss of information directly affects the care plan for patients and may compromise patient safety if wrong or no care is rendered. Despite the plethora of studies regarding the process of shift change handover that has been conducted worldwide, there is a dearth of similar research conducted in Singapore. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research design was employed to explore nurses’ perceptions and feelings regarding the current shift change handover process. A purposive sample of 10 nurses were recruited from all the general medical or surgical wards in the hospital to attend semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and sent to participants for member checking. Data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. Participant recruitment stopped when data saturation was reached. Results: Four themes that formed nurses’ experiences and perceptions were identified: nurses’ roles and responsibilities, information transferring and processing, facilitating factors, and advantages of handover. Three themes that formed barriers and challenges nurses faced during handover were: internal lapses, external interruptions, and workplace practices. Conclusion and Implications: The results of this study indicated the need to revise existing healthcare protocols regarding shift change handover in acute general wards. Future research could focus on the better understanding of the various components involved in a shift change handover process.