CSI Summary
Available only to registered AACN.org users.
CSI HWE
Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington
CSI Summary
Available only to registered AACN.org users.
CSI Presentation
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CSI Toolkit
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Project Topic:
Improve communication between nurses during shift change handoff by using the TeamStepps2 communication tools: IPASS (Illness severity /Patient summary/Action list/Situation awareness/Synthesis by receiver)
Hospital, City and State:
Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington
Unit:
2 West Acute Care and Oncology
Marrow Transplant Unit (MTU)
CSI Participants:
Project Goals/Objectives:
Project Outcomes:
Project Overview:
The CSI team identified incomplete communication between day and night shift nurses during shift change hand-off as a problem. This resulted in missing important information during patient handover, negatively impacting patient care. The lack of teamwork in both units further complicated matters, leading to increased frustration among the nursing staff. We needed to make significant improvements in our communication processes. To address this, the CSI team implemented TeamSTEPPS2, an evidence-based method to improve skilled communication and true collaboration between staff. Staff were educated about how to use the communication tools CUS and DESC.
The team also implemented the I-PASS nurse report hand-off tool, to enhance communication between the day and night shift nurses. The implementation of all of the communication tools have effectively managed and resolved conflicts among the staff, further fostering a collaborative work environment.
The CSI team received positive feedback about our project's interventions. In addition, data showed decreased falls, medication administration errors and fewer unplanned callouts.
Permission to Reuse Materials
The materials associated with this AACN Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy project are the property of the participating hospital noted above, not AACN. Requests to use content contained in the CSI team’s summary, presentation or toolkit should be directed to the hospital. We suggest reaching out to the hospital’s Communications, Marketing or Nursing Education department for assistance.
Disclaimer
The AACN CSI Academy program supports change projects based on quality improvement methods. Although CSI teams seek to ensure linkage between their project and clinical/fiscal outcomes, data cannot be solely attributed to the project and are estimations of impact.