Analysis Of Handoffs: Implications For Nurses In Nursing

Professor Cantu and Class,
The first article is, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Chapter 34 “Handoffs: Implications for Nurses”, this article is applicable not only to my unit, but every nurse in the profession. It is imperative that the translation of patient information from one person to the next during shift change, patient transfer, or transfer to another facility is clear, accurate, understandable, and complete conveying all pertinent information about that patient. The article discusses why we have problems with handoffs, and different methods for handoff styles. There is no specific hand-off tool that is universal. With that being said it is important that research continues so that possibly in the
The title caught my attention: “Work Environment and Conditions”. The nurse’s role has long been considered as stress-filled based upon the physical labor, human suffering, work hours, staffing, and interpersonal relationships that are central to the work nurses do. The article examined many studies conducted to measure stress and burnout in nurses and found that the environment and conditions in the work place have a great deal to do with the perceived stress levels. In the article, it speaks of the definition of stress as being a negative factor that is perceived to pose a threat to the perceiver. This definition goes on to state that one person may see an event as stressful while another may view the same situation as exhilarating. The important part of this “new definition” is that we can chose, by manipulation of our attitudes, to view our lives as stress filled or an enjoyable ride? One’s perception is a big factor regarding workplace stress. I notice that newer nurses feel a great amount of pressure to do things perfectly, which anyone who has been in nursing a while can tell you that nursing is an imperfect profession. We are humans caring for other humans and we are all just doing the best that we can and what is in the best interest of our patients. Maintaining a positive attitude is important, and challenging at times. Even though the environment that many of us work in is controlled, good or bad many of the things that occur are beyond our control. Learning to go with the flow and ask for help when needed can make nursing a little bit less overwhelming. I think it is important for nurses experiencing burnout to talk to someone about it and maybe think about making a change in their workplace if possible to obtain a new challenge and help keep nursing fresh and exciting for them. I also find it interesting that as nurses, we are so prone to