Structured Handover and Information Loss Across Nursing Shift Changes
College of Nursing, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Corresponding Author: Thomas J, Doctus Journal of Nursing Science.
Abstract
Information lost at shift handover is a recognised source of preventable harm. We observed 180 handovers before and after introducing a structured written and verbal format, scoring the transfer of eleven predefined critical items. Mean transfer of critical items rose from 62% to 89%, with the largest gains in pending investigations and escalation instructions, the two categories most often omitted at baseline. Handover duration increased by a mean of 3.2 minutes per shift. Nurses reported greater confidence in the first hour of a shift. The change required no technology and was sustained at three-month re-audit.
Keywords
Clinical Handover; Patient Safety; Shift Change; Communication; Structured Format; Audit
How to Cite
Thomas J and Fernandes L. “Structured Handover and Information Loss Across Nursing Shift Changes”. Doctus Journal of Nursing Science 2.1 (2026): 19-33.
Copyright and Licence
© 2026 Thomas J. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.