A Patient or Baton? Implementation of a Standardized Report Sheet in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Olivia Cil (Creator)

Institution

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )

Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Advisor

Stacy Schlesinger

Abstract: Anesthesia Provider to post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse handoff is a critical process for the safe transfer of care for a surgical patient. This process can be fraught with distractions, errors and omissions which jeopardize patient safety. Gaps within this process are due to an absence of clear communication (Gibney, 2017), which have resulted in sentinel events (Aronson et al., 2021) and errors (Rosenthal et al., 2018). Failures in communication have been primarily attributed to the handoff reporting procedure. The use of a standardized reporting process reduces errors and decreases the amount of time required for patient handoff to occur (Streelman & Staffileno, 2021; Briggs et al., 2022). Transfers of patient care often occur at a time that results in failures of communication. Errors can be compounded by verbal communication and a lack of standardization increases these chances significantly (Aronson et al., 2021). The timing of anesthesia provider to PACU nurse transfer, however, presents unique challenges. The anesthesia provider often has a subsequent case to prepare for, while the receiving PACU nurse may have other patient responsibilities and minimal preparation time in advance of receiving the patient. Upon transfer from the operating room (OR) to the PACU, a patient receives a new team of providers who assume the responsibility of providing safe and efficient care. The PACU nurse and anesthesia provider encounter environmental distractions, and potential human error when giving or receiving handoff report (Lambert, 2018; Steelman & Staffileno, 2021).The use of a standardized handoff process increases staff satisfaction, improves handoff efficiency, and improves provider satisfaction (Steelman & Staffileno, 2021; Arson et al., 2021; Gates, 2021). The use of a standardized handoff process also complies with recommendations from The Joint Commission (Gates, 2021).Patient safety is compromised when a standardized report sheet is not utilized (Arson et al., 2021). Despite the benefits of technology in healthcare and the Joint Commission’s recommendation for the use of a patient handoff tool during report, (Gates et al., 2021) standardized report sheets remain underutilized (Aronson et al., 2021). In using a standardized reporting process, adherence to the Joint Commission’s recommendations can be achieved, anesthesia provider satisfaction can be increased, and the amount of time for the patient to be transitioned to the PACU is reduced (Streelman & Staffileno, 2021; Briggs et al., 2022; Gates et al., 2021). Lastly, even PACU staff express that gaps exist between periods of patient transition (Gibney, 2017). Thus, the need for implementation of a standardized anesthesia provider to PACU nurse handoff template is now.

A Patient or Baton? Implementation of a Standardized Report Sheet in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit
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Created on 6/27/2024
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Additional Information

Publication

Other

Language: English

Date: 2024

Keywords

CRNA and PACU report, patient safety and standardized report, postoperative handoff report, patient outcomes

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