Do you get overwhelmed when listening to the handover at the beginning of the shift? Want to know how to learn about decoding the handover? Handover is one of the most important parts of the nursing shift - it is a safety element to ensure everyone is aware of who is on the ward and any potential 'watchers' (those critically ill patients that require close attention and care). For nursing staff, this is the time they start planning their shift. And for you as a student, this is the BEST time to pick up on any potential learning opportunities the shift has for you.
You MUST be present and actively listening to what is being said, or you may miss some vital information. It will not all mean much to you potentially, but I promise, by staying active in the handover you will begin to pick up the main aspects and it'll become a great deal easier for you. To speed this process up, make notes/highlight important bits like theatre times, discharging patients, immediate needs AND also in another colour highlight bits you don’t know and check what they are ASAP.
The usual format of a handover considers aspects of the patients such as bed number, name, and age, along with the following:
Past: historical information such as the patient’s diagnosis, anything the team needs to know about them, and their treatment plan, like whether they are nil-by-mouth or require barrier nursing. If they are a new admission then there will be something about the circumstances leading to their admission
Present: the current presentation of the patient. How the patient has been during the shift and any changes to their treatment plan. Keep in mind that significant changes might have occurred while you have not been in. Things will be included such as physical observations and any results from assessments or investigations.
Future: what is still to be done. Good nursing time management will often mean there will be lots of reasons that some jobs have to be handed over to the next shift. Tasks that need to be completed will be added in this part - so listen out for any potential jobs!
🎥 Want to see some more?
- How to get FEEDBACK ON PLACEMENT: [ Ссылка ]
- Worried about actually STARTING PLACEMENT? Watch this [ Ссылка ]
- Some best tips for PASSING YOUR PLACEMENT - [ Ссылка ]
- SMART Objectives: [ Ссылка ]
💙 Some essentials for students:
- Essential clinical skills for nurses: [ Ссылка ]
- Drug calculations for student nurses: [ Ссылка ]
- Pocket notebook for placement: [ Ссылка ]
- Multicolour Pens: [ Ссылка ]
- Nurse's fob watch: [ Ссылка ]
- Hand cream is a must too; try something like Aquamax for when you sleep: [ Ссылка ]
💡 Equipment I love to use:
- ⌨️ Apple Magic Keyboard (so lovely to type on): [ Ссылка ]
- 💻 Very compact Laptop Stand: [ Ссылка ]
- 🖱 Powerful Wireless Mouse: [ Ссылка ]
- 🤓 USB Extender bank with separate switches: [ Ссылка ]
- 📦 External Hard Drive (pricey but so worth it!): [ Ссылка ]
- 🎙 My 'Rode VideoMicro' microphone: [ Ссылка ]
- 🎥 My iPhone tripod with light: [ Ссылка ]
- 👓 My blue light glasses to protect the old sight: [ Ссылка ]
🌏 Let’s stay in touch:
IG: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
LinkedIn: [ Ссылка ]
Disclaimer: some of the links above might be affiliate links which just means I will receive a kickback (but *you don’t pay any extra*) if you buy any of the suff using these links 😃 It is just a way to support the channel.
