Implementing a Multidisciplinary Bedside Handoff to Improve
Communication and Reduce Errors in Surgical Transfers
Natania Feliciano, BSN, RN; Kaylyn Bourne, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, David Phillippi, PhD
Belmont University Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
PROBLEM
Breakdowns in communication amongst team members leads to poor patient outcomes (Massa et al., 2021). Commonly cited barriers to communication include lack of standardization and time pressure (Abraham et al., 2023). Multidisciplinary handoffs are a strategy to overcoming barriers, improving team communication and promoting patient safety by 40% (Njambi et al., 2021).
PURPOSE / AIM
To improve communication and reduce preventable errors in during transfer of patients from the preoperative holding area to the operating room by implementing a bedside multidisciplinary preoperative handoff.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
PROJECT DESIGN
• Setting: Included a hospital operating room, preoperative holding area, and postanesthesia care unit (PACU).
• Design: Quality improvement project utilizing a mixed-methods convergent design
• Intervention: Revised door-to-door workflow, updated handoff communication tool (Rainbow Sheet), multidisciplinary bedside handoff, and staff education with cue cards to reinforce best practices.
• Measures: Outcomes and insights collected through mid- and post-implementation surveys.
KEY FINDINGS
• 91.75% Rainbow Sheet completion rate, demonstrating consistent bedside handoff documentation
• Staff were satisfied overall with the multidisciplinary handoff
• Staff perceived that bedside handoff improved communication
• Staff Perceived that bedside handoff improved patient safety
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Multidisciplinary Handoffs:
1. Strengthen communication amongst the multidisciplinary team
2. Change the way safe transfers of care are viewed by a participating team
3. Aligns evidence with practice regarding patient safety, informing organizational leadership of an opportunity for standardization.
OUTCOMES
