Effectiveness of handover practices between emergency department and intensive care unit nurses

• Published in: African Journal of Emergency Medicine 2023-06, Vol.13 (2), p.72-77
• Main Authors: Mamalelala, Tebogo T, Schmollgruber, Shelley, Botes, Meghan, Holzemer, William
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emergency department; Handover; Information transfer; Intensive care; Original; Quality
• ISSN: 2211-419X; 2211-4203
• DOI: 10.1016/j.afjem.2023.03.001

Nurses from the emergency department (ED) and the intensive care unit (ICU) must interact during the handover procedure. Factors such as unit boundaries, the interaction between different specialities, patient acuities, and treatment adjustments generate specific negotiating and teamwork problems during the transition of patients from ED to ICU. This study aimed to describe the opinions of nurses regarding the effectiveness of handover practices between nurses in the ED and ICU in a major academic hospital in Gauteng province, South Africa. An analytical cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected using a 16-item handover evaluation tool. It comprises two sections (1) biographical details and (2) 16 statements about handover quality divided into five constructs, namely information transfer, shared understanding, working atmosphere, overall handover quality, and circumstances of handover. Data analysis was done utilising descriptive and non-parametric statistics. The majority (51.8%; n = 115) of the handovers occurred during the day. Out of 171 nurses, there were specialist practice emergency (19.2%; n = 33) and intensive care (28.0%; n = 48) nurses. There was statistical significance in information transfer between the ED and ICU nurses. (Me = 4.0, p