'The patient will be a participant'
Bedside reporting intended to enhance client safety, experience at Trillium Health Centre
Wednesday December 3, 2008 -- Natalie Miller
Imagine being in the hospital and when nurses change shifts they introduce themselves and have an in-depth conversation about your care needs in front of you to ensure all of the bases are covered.

Starting Dec. 8, patients in the orthopaedic in-patient surgical unit at Trillium Health Centre will begin to see this new process in action.

After about 18 months of research, planning and education, the Mississauga hospital is set to introduce nurse-to-nurse reporting during shift change at the patient bedside.

"Our vision for this model is to promote patient safety and satisfaction (through) the nurse-to-patient and nurse-to-nurse communication," says Marcella Honour, clinical educator for orthopaedic surgery, rehab 1B and the fracture clinic at the hospital.

"It increases the accountability of the outgoing nurse to the patient and to the incoming nurse."

While the new bedside reporting model is aimed at reducing the risk for error, which often occurs because of communication breakdown, it's also intended to enhance patient satisfaction.

During the nurse-to-nurse dialogue, the patient and/or his or her family members have the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification.

"The patient will be a participant," says Kathy Elliott, manager of orthopaedic surgery, rehab 1B and the fracture clinic at Trillium Health Centre.

As part of this model, the outgoing nurse will introduce the incoming nurse. The nurses will clarify information about care plans including such topics as diagnosis, treatment, allergies, special needs, family involvement and future procedures such as blood work or surgery.

"When nurses report to each other at your bedside, you hear the information being passed along," the hospital explains in new literature it has prepared for patients about bedside reporting. "We believe that this helps you to feel more comfortable about your care. You and your family are important partners."

Elliott and Honour suspect reception from patients will be favourable.

"It helps the patient feel safer," Elliott says. Patients will feel reassured."

Trillium respects patients' privacy so the hospital has included the option for patients to decide whether they support full disclosure of the information at their bedside.

Adapted from a similar model at Hamilton Health Sciences, Trillium hopes to expand bedside reporting to other units of the hospital if feedback is positive.

Read more about the risk management and patient safety benefits of this model by clicking here.

If you have feedback on this story, e-mail natalie(at)axiomnews.ca or call the newsroom at 800-294-0051.