Patient handoff from the perspective of nursing teams in hemodialysis units.
Cristina da Silva Fernandes, Dariane Verissímo de Araújo, Matheus Pinheiro Almeida and 4 others
PMID 40802363WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses and technicians in hemodialysis clinics reported that handoffs are often rushed and unstandardized, leading to forgotten medication details and vital signs.
They relied on shift books and radios, noting that multitasking and lack of time compromise patient safety.
Key findings
01Participants identified failures in communicating prescribed medications and patient identification data, attributing these lapses to a lack of standardization and insufficient time for handoffs.
02Handoff methods varied widely, including shift report books, phone calls, radios, and social media platforms like WhatsApp, with nurses noting that individual handoffs were often unfeasible due to high patient volumes.
03Nursing teams perceived that multitasking and simultaneous involvement in other duties by colleagues actively impeded effective communication during patient transfers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample from only six clinics in one state, limiting generalizability to other regions or healthcare systems. Interviews were conducted in the participants' workplace, which may have influenced responses due to perceived observation or professional constraints. The relatively short interview duration (approximately 30 minutes) may have limited the depth of data collected. One health region in the state was excluded from the study.
Declared interests
The text does not report any specific conflicts of interest or funding sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that using WhatsApp or radios is a safe or effective standard for handoff. The study reports these as existing practices in some clinics, not as validated interventions that improved safety or reduced errors.