Performance Potential EXTRA: Make it a habit :2 weeks to bedside report
Stephen A. Carlson MBA-HC, MSN, RN

$3.95 		Nursing Management
March 2013 
Volume 44  Number 3
Pages 52 - 54
 
  PDF Version Available!

ABSTRACT
Bedside reporting is an emerging practice that has received much attention, especially in the last decade. In response to the practice becoming a Joint Commission initiative, many healthcare institutions across the nation have mandated its use.1 A 36-bed vascular surgery/medical progressive care unit in a Midwestern hospital undertook a quality improvement project to heighten awareness of the importance of bedside reporting and its benefits to patients. Conception of this project resulted from poor audit scores regarding the use of nurse-to-nurse bedside reporting on a patient care unit. Two different observation audits were completed, indicating 0% and 22% compliance, respectively.An educational needs assessment was conducted on the unit, which revealed that nurses had a poor understanding of the importance of bedside reporting, didn't have time to participate, and lacked motivation to conduct bedside reports. None of the nurses who responded to the needs assessment had ever performed bedside reporting. Furthermore, 71% were aware of the institutional bedside reporting policy but didn't comply with its expectations and only 43% reported knowing the importance of bedside reporting.Through researching various aspects of and opinions on bedside reporting, three overarching themes became evident regarding the necessity for the project on the unit. First and most important, bedside reporting improves patient care. Ineffective communication is the most frequently reported cause of sentinel events in the United States. Standardizing clinical practices related to patient transfers and communication improves clinical outcomes and patient safety.2 Shift change reports have been proven to enhance the quality and efficiency of care planning.3Secondly, bedside reporting makes the nurse's job easier and engages the patient to participate in his or her care by easing a nurse's entry into patients' rooms and providing patients with relevant and real-time information.4,5 Additionally,

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