Maher, A., Hsu, H., Ebrahim, M. E. B. M., Vukasovic, M., & Coggins, A. (2024). Implementation of bedside handover that includes patients or carers in hospital settings: A systematic review. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.14223
This systematic review, Maher et al. (2024), explores bedside handovers including patients or carers as part of the process. The study examines several outcomes, patient satisfaction, engagement, and information sharing, and has highlighted time and issues of privacy concern as barriers. Bedside handover was demonstrated to improve patient satisfaction, autonomy, and involvement in planning, and provide scope for error correction. Nurses can use this resource to become aware of the possibilities of involving patients in handover to enhance outcomes and communication among patients and facilitate an improved collaborative care culture. It also reveals challenges and hindrances that nurses would likely be faced with, for example, time management and maintaining patient confidentiality. Nurses can incorporate bedside handover during shift changes, especially where patients remain at the highest risk of falling, to provide continuous and clear communication, involve patients actively in their own decision regarding their care and allow a decreased possibility for error and misunderstanding.
McCarthy, S., Motala, A., Lawson, E., & Shekelle, P. G. (2025). Use of structured handoff protocols for within-hospital unit transitions: A systematic review from Making Healthcare Safer IV. BMJ Quality & Safety. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2024-018385
In this systematic review, McCarthy et al. (2025) explore the impact of structured handoff protocols, SBAR and I-PASS, on patient safety during within-unit handovers in hospital units. The study determined that these protocols, especially I-PASS, had moderate evidence of medical error reduction and adverse events, and SBAR showed less certainty of evidence. The tools, through their provision of a structured way of passing important information to patients, decrease incidences of miscommunication, which are safety hazards for patients. Nurses can use this article to get information on how structured handoffs promote patient safety and implement changes during information passing across shifts. The article indicates that these tools need to be utilized repeatedly, with appropriate coaching, and an organizational environment that promotes structured communication. Nurses can utilize SBAR or I-PASS during patient handoffs, especially in high-acute units like the surgical unit or ICU, to facilitate appropriate information passing and error reduction, promoting better patient outcomes.
Soed, N., Ludin, S. M., Abdullah, S. N. S., & Al-Zahrawi, R. (2025). Exploring the impact of the SBAR on nursing handover: A scoping review. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN), 17(1), 233-245. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0409-6344
This scoping review from Soed et al. (2025) investigates the impact of the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) communication tool on nursing handovers. The research finds a number of key benefits, which include improved communication, reduced error, improved patient safety, and enhanced nurse job satisfaction. SBAR reduced miscommunication and improved teamwork, especially in shift handovers of complex patients, and this, in turn, produces enhanced patient outcomes. Nurses can look to this resource for a better understanding of how SBAR can be implemented with an organized handover process. Through standardizing communication, SBAR ensures key patient information is effectively and accurately shared, minimizing error probabilities. SBAR is extremely useful within high-pressure environments such as emergency and critical facilities, where clear and efficient communication is essential. Nurses can incorporate SBAR's structured format within clinical practice for facilitating standardization in communication, promoting patient safety, and constructing teamwork within varying settings of care.