Nurse Patient Relationship and Caring Communication Tool
Caring Handoff at Shift Change
A quality nurse patient relationship and caring communication in nursing go hand-in-hand!
Patients are full of anxieties and worries. "Will I be okay? What am I going to have to endure next? Will this pain ever go away? Do these people care about me? Will I get help when I need it? When is my doctor going to come? Does this new nurse have any idea what I've been going through or what I need?! Did they forget about me?”
Given their understandable anxiety, there's not much worse for a patient than to have their nurse disappear without a word and just be left wondering…until the next nurse finally shows up. Then, when that next nurse arrives, the patient greets this nurse with anxiety, not with a positive mindset. What a waste of energy for patient and nurse alike! What a blow to the nurse patient relationship and the quality of the patient's experience! And this was avoidable!
Consider having every nurse adopt a great handoff routine for each shift change. The goal: Reduce patients' anxiety and create seamless transitions that maintain a quality nurse patient relationship and caring communication during handoffs from one nurse to the next—through speaking the language of caring.
Handoff at Shift Change: Examples
| Great Behaviors | GREAT Words | If next nurse isn’t there at the moment…- Make eye contact, smile, and use patient’s name.
- Move to patient’s level.
- Tell patient you’re leaving and who will be coming next.
- Let them know that you will personally talk to the next nurse about them.
- Express confidence in your colleague.
- Offer help/Open up for questions.
- Be present and caring even though you’re about to leave!
- Say a caring goodbye.
| - “Mr. Vasquez, my workday ends shortly.”
- “At 4, Margo Hill will be taking over for me.”
- “I’ll be sure she knows all about you. You’ll be in good hands with Margo.”
- “Before I go, what else can I do for you? Can I do anything to make you more comfortable?”
- Are there questions I can answer for you?”
- “I hope you have a peaceful night, Mr. Vasquez. Good night.”
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