Sample Hand Off Report for Nurses

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The purpose of a sample hand off report is to provide an action plan for nurses to follow when administering treatment. This document should be reviewed by other staff and presented to departmental leaders for approval before being used on patients. Although the information provided is intended for reference purposes only, a hand off report is invaluable for hospital administrators and other administrators who may encounter situations where the written word would not necessarily apply. For example, a hand off report for a single patient could describe a patient’s history, and condition as well as indicate actions to take in certain scenarios.

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A hand off is a document that is prepared after receiving authorization from a patient or responsible person (usually the physician) who gives written permission for it to be completed. After all necessary information has been documented and any necessary modifications have been made, the hand off is then completed and signed by the patient or responsible person. The hand off report is then transferred to the appropriate area within the hospital. It is important that a hand off report be signed by a responsible person so that the document can be validated against the current record of the patient and be used as a reference when another person is involved in a similar situation at a later time.

The purpose of a sample hand off report is to offer a convenient method for nurses and other staff to document their understanding of a treatment plan, diagnosis, progress, and follow-up. However, a hand off report does not need to include every contingency that could occur between the time of the patient’s initial visit and the time when that person is treated. Rather than a full account of every possible situation that could arise between the time of a patient’s initial visit and the time when that person is treated, a sample hand off report will outline key areas that should be noted.

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One important aspect of a hand off report is the list of all staff members that were involved in the process of treating the patient. Although a doctor usually makes the first contact with a patient when he or she is seen in the emergency room, nurses are responsible for a significant number of tasks throughout the course of a patient’s stay at the hospital. Therefore, it may become necessary to note the name, role, and contact information for each staff member who was involved in a specific aspect of a patient’s care. While a doctor’s contact information may appear on the medical chart, a nurse’s information will be more likely to be documented on a hand off.

A hand off report will outline a summary of all staff members involved in a patient’s care from start to finish. This summary should include the date and time each staff member became involved in the care of the patient, any actions taken by him or her, and any observations made by the staff members. If a nurse performed an evaluation during the time that he or she was the treating doctor, the report should note that fact. Likewise, if a physician wrote a prescription for a patient during his or her time as an intern, the report should note that fact. In many situations, a doctor will request that a handoff be created using a template because it is quicker than having to individually create the document each time. For example, if a physician prescribes several different medications to the same patient, creating a template will allow the doctor to simply select which medications need to be written and provided to the patient for that particular time.

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While the intent of a hand off report is to document the actions taken by each staff member, this is not the only use for such a report. Depending on the nature of a situation, a hand off report can be used to help determine the outcome of a medical procedure or treatment. For example, if a patient is complaining of neck pain, a hand off report that details all of the other procedures that were performed during the time that the patient was in the hospital may prove to be invaluable. A similar situation may occur if a patient is complaining of back pain. By detailing each doctor who was involved in the care of the patient, a hand off report can be created to compare the care of the patient during each hospital visit.

If a physician creates a template to hand off a report that is then used to transfer data between various hospital departments and doctors, the procedure can be completed much more quickly. In addition, a template can allow for the transfer of information between departments without compromising the security of sensitive data. Each piece of information that is transferred must be encoded so that the patient’s personal data is protected in the event of loss or theft. As well, each piece of information can be tweaked to match the specific department and physician that are responsible for treating the patient.

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Even though the purpose of a sample hand off is primarily to document actions taken throughout the care of a patient, it can be used in many other situations as well. For example, an individual or family member may need to know the progress that was made during the course of treatment. This can help them to better understand what has been done to help them. Hand off templates are also useful if a doctor wants to share the information with patients or other parties who might be interested in the care that was provided.

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