Implementation of Simulation-Based Technology to Promote Safety in the Nursing Handover in the Intensive Care Unit.

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To evaluate the impact of implementing a prototype of simulation-based educational technology on raising awareness among ICU nurses, improving communication in nursing handover, and promoting patient safety.

Design: Qualitative study based on the conceptual framework of patient safety. The COREQ tool guided the presentation of the research report.

Methods: The research was conducted with 18 nurses from the ICU of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who worked directly in nursing handover. The technology implemented was developed based on communication failures identified in a previous stage of the macro research project. This evidence supported the development of a simulated scenario of a nursing handover of a critical patient, which was recorded in audio and video. The video addressed content (absence, incompleteness and lack of ordering of information) and behavioural errors (interruptions, distractions, noise and lack of clarity) during communication between intensive care nurses. The video was implemented with nurses through the use of telesimulation with debriefing. Finally, the nurses were subjected to a semi-structured interview to evaluate the potential of the technology, whose data underwent thematic analysis with an inductive model.

Results: The nurses recognised the communication failures portrayed as part of their daily practice, reflected on their mistakes, and on actions to be adopted to change behaviour during the handover.

Conclusions: The simulation-based technology prototype has the potential to promote self-reflection and raise nurses' awareness of the need to change behaviours during the handover.

Relevance to clinical practice: The simulation-based technology prototype can be applied as an educational strategy to improve communication safety in nursing handover.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution.