Empowering the Implementation of Patient Handover with Increasing Nurse Knowledge and Attitude at X General Hospital Indonesia

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: In several studies it was described that ineffective communication during patient handover between the hospital departments or during shift-to-shift transfer result in discontinuity of care, inappropriate treatment, and potential risks of injury for patients. The patient handover is a professional responsibility and accountability related to nursing care. SBAR (Situation - Background - Assessment – Recommendation) method as part of the international patient safety goals(IPSGs) was developed to improve communication breakdown. Knowledge and attitude are essential factors associated with the implementation of patient handover, yet limited research was done on this. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between nurse knowledge and attitude toward a patient handover. Methods: A cross-sectional approach was applied in this study. A total of 61 nurses consisting of the head nurse, and team leaders participated in sampling technique done by simple random sampling method from the hospital database. Data collection used a structured questionnaire with a good result of validity and reliability. Univariate and bivariate test were used for data analyzing with Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Version 18. Results: There is a relationship between nurses' knowledge and attitude toward patient handover with OR 5.280 (1.063-26.227); OR 5.333 (1.351-21.062), respectively and statistically significant (p<0.000). Conclusion: Handover is a dynamic process and impacts directly on patient care. Increasing nurse knowledge and attitude are essential to enhance the implementation of patient handover. Training, seminar and intensive practice are strongly needed to build the culture of patient safety.