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Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room.

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Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room. / Smith, Andrew F.; Pope, C; Goodwin, Dawn et al.
In: British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol. 101, No. 3, 09.2008, p. 332-337.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Smith AF, Pope C, Goodwin D, Mort M. Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2008 Sept;101(3):332-337. doi: 10.1093/bja/aen168

Author

Smith, Andrew F. ; Pope, C ; Goodwin, Dawn et al. / Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room. In: British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2008 ; Vol. 101, No. 3. pp. 332-337.

Bibtex

@article{04efaac86b594312a274fcd17c4f7cc6,
title = "Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room.",
abstract = "Background: We aimed to describe how anaesthetists hand over information and professional responsibility to nurses in the operating theatre recovery room. Methods: We carried out non-participant practice observation and in-depth interviews with practitioners working in the recovery room of an English hospital and used qualitative methods to analyse the resulting transcripts. Results: We observed 45 handovers taking place between 17 anaesthetists and 15 nurses in the recovery room of the operating theatre suite. These took place in an environment that is event-driven, time-pressured, and prone to concurrent distractions. Anaesthetists and nurses often had differing expectations of the content and timing of information transfer. The point at which transfer of responsibility for the patient occurred during the handover process was variable and depended not only on the condition of the patient but also on the professional relationship between the nurse and doctor concerned. Handover also provided an {\textquoteleft}audit point{\textquoteright} in care where the patient{\textquoteright}s intraoperative progress was reviewed and plans were made for further management. Here, as in the transfer of responsibility, we found evidence that nurses play a greater role in defining the limits of anaesthetists{\textquoteright} practice than might be expected. Conclusions: Patient handovers in the recovery room are largely informal, but nevertheless show many inherent tensions, both professional and organizational. Although formalized handover procedures are often advocated for the promotion of safety, we suggest that they are likely to work best when the informal elements, and the cultural factors underlying them, are acknowledged.",
keywords = "anaesthesia, recovery period, communication, education, continuing, interprofessional relations, postoperative care, recovery, postoperative",
author = "Smith, {Andrew F.} and C Pope and Dawn Goodwin and Maggie Mort",
year = "2008",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1093/bja/aen168",
language = "English",
volume = "101",
pages = "332--337",
journal = "British Journal of Anaesthesia",
issn = "1471-6771",
publisher = "ELSEVIER SCI LTD",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interprofessional handover and patient safety in anaesthesia : observational study of handovers in the recovery room.

AU - Smith, Andrew F.

AU - Pope, C

AU - Goodwin, Dawn

AU - Mort, Maggie

PY - 2008/9

Y1 - 2008/9

N2 - Background: We aimed to describe how anaesthetists hand over information and professional responsibility to nurses in the operating theatre recovery room. Methods: We carried out non-participant practice observation and in-depth interviews with practitioners working in the recovery room of an English hospital and used qualitative methods to analyse the resulting transcripts. Results: We observed 45 handovers taking place between 17 anaesthetists and 15 nurses in the recovery room of the operating theatre suite. These took place in an environment that is event-driven, time-pressured, and prone to concurrent distractions. Anaesthetists and nurses often had differing expectations of the content and timing of information transfer. The point at which transfer of responsibility for the patient occurred during the handover process was variable and depended not only on the condition of the patient but also on the professional relationship between the nurse and doctor concerned. Handover also provided an ‘audit point’ in care where the patient’s intraoperative progress was reviewed and plans were made for further management. Here, as in the transfer of responsibility, we found evidence that nurses play a greater role in defining the limits of anaesthetists’ practice than might be expected. Conclusions: Patient handovers in the recovery room are largely informal, but nevertheless show many inherent tensions, both professional and organizational. Although formalized handover procedures are often advocated for the promotion of safety, we suggest that they are likely to work best when the informal elements, and the cultural factors underlying them, are acknowledged.

AB - Background: We aimed to describe how anaesthetists hand over information and professional responsibility to nurses in the operating theatre recovery room. Methods: We carried out non-participant practice observation and in-depth interviews with practitioners working in the recovery room of an English hospital and used qualitative methods to analyse the resulting transcripts. Results: We observed 45 handovers taking place between 17 anaesthetists and 15 nurses in the recovery room of the operating theatre suite. These took place in an environment that is event-driven, time-pressured, and prone to concurrent distractions. Anaesthetists and nurses often had differing expectations of the content and timing of information transfer. The point at which transfer of responsibility for the patient occurred during the handover process was variable and depended not only on the condition of the patient but also on the professional relationship between the nurse and doctor concerned. Handover also provided an ‘audit point’ in care where the patient’s intraoperative progress was reviewed and plans were made for further management. Here, as in the transfer of responsibility, we found evidence that nurses play a greater role in defining the limits of anaesthetists’ practice than might be expected. Conclusions: Patient handovers in the recovery room are largely informal, but nevertheless show many inherent tensions, both professional and organizational. Although formalized handover procedures are often advocated for the promotion of safety, we suggest that they are likely to work best when the informal elements, and the cultural factors underlying them, are acknowledged.

KW - anaesthesia

KW - recovery period

KW - communication

KW - education

KW - continuing

KW - interprofessional relations

KW - postoperative care

KW - recovery

KW - postoperative

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=50949114149&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/bja/aen168

DO - 10.1093/bja/aen168

M3 - Journal article

VL - 101

SP - 332

EP - 337

JO - British Journal of Anaesthesia

JF - British Journal of Anaesthesia

SN - 1471-6771

IS - 3

ER -