Bedside RN handoff
Formal Definition
A structured, in-person nursing handoff conducted at the patient's bedside (rather than at the nurses' station) at shift change, during transfers between units, or after a procedure — typically includes a brief introduction of the oncoming nurse to the patient and family, a structured review of the patient's current status and plan, an opportunity for the patient to ask questions and correct any misunderstandings ("tell us what you're here for"), and a visual check of the patient (lines, drains, wounds, infusion pumps); recognized as best practice for reducing handoff-related errors.
How It's Used on the Ward
"Bedside report" or "doing handoff at the bedside" — when nurses come on shift, they walk to the patient's room together; the offgoing nurse introduces the oncoming nurse to the patient, runs through the situation, and lets the patient/family hear and correct any errors; the oncoming nurse sees the patient rather than just reading a written report.
Example
""7 PM shift change on a med-surg floor. Offgoing nurse brings oncoming nurse to room 612. Offgoing nurse: 'Mrs. Garcia, this is Jenna, she'll be taking care of you tonight. Let's go over where we are: you came in for shortness of breath, your pneumonia is getting better, your last oxygen level was good without oxygen, you're scheduled for discharge tomorrow. Anything you want Jenna to know?' Mrs. Garcia: 'I want to make sure my insulin dose is right — that's been changing.' Jenna: 'Got it, I'll start with the insulin and review the sliding-scale orders.'""
Clinical Context
Evidence: bedside handoff has been shown in multiple studies to reduce handoff-related adverse events, improve patient satisfaction (patients feel informed, included, and able to correct errors), improve nurse-to-nurse accountability, and shorten orientation time for the oncoming nurse. Implementation: requires institutional support (scheduling overlap time, physical space at the bedside, electronic handoff tool integration). Common elements: (1) introductions, (2) brief patient summary (one-liner), (3) current issues and plan, (4) safety checks (falls risk, isolation, code status visible), (5) patient/family questions and corrections. Comparison to traditional "nurses' station handoff" (oral or written report without the patient): historically more efficient on paper, but loses the patient's ability to verify information, hides visible cues the oncoming nurse would benefit from (wound drainage character, current mental status, family at bedside), and contributes to fragmented care. Regulatory context: Joint Commission and Magnet-designated hospitals have moved toward bedside handoff as a standard. Practice variations: some units use bedside handoff for all shifts, others for day-to-night only, others for primary nursing models.