Shift Handover Practices Among Nurses in Medical Wards: A Qualitative Interview Study

Aim: To examine the shift handover practices in various medical wards in Brunei. Objectives were to examine shift handover practices between the nurses and between shifts, to identify supports to enhance handover effectiveness and to identify barriers of effective handover. Background: Handover practices is a routine activity, and ineffective handover practise constitutes a risk to patient safety. Evidence suggests that handover effectiveness is influenced by factors such as through standardised handover practice. Design: A descriptive qualitative study using content analysis. Methods: The study involved a series of individual interviews among a sample of nurses recruited from 6 medical wards in the largest hospital in Brunei. A total of 13 nurses took part in the interview.  Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis method.  Results: The analysis revealed three broad themes, namely "multiple handover style", "use of handover tool" and "handover distractions". The first theme indicates that there are several handover styles used in the medical wards, which may be related to the cultural and organisational factors. The second theme illustrates the use of a tool in handover practices, and the final themes describe perceived shift handover distractions which could potentially influence the effectiveness of the handover practices. Conclusion: The evidence in the current study suggests that several aspects of the multiple shift handover practices of nurses are not always consistent with best-practice evidence. The results show that nurses need to communicate accurate and concise information, which can be easily understood by both the giver and the recipient to ensure the quality and safety of patient care.