Background: The Joint Commission (TJC) evaluated sentinel events in healthcare and reported communication failure of care providers during patient handoffs as the most frequently cited root-cause. To improve patient outcomes and to avoid costly mistakes, it is recommended that the change of shift report should take place at the patient’s bedside. Foreground: Studies regarding nursing shift reports indicate that information given is inconsistent among nurses. Despite attempts at creating standardized reporting sheets and implementing reporting methods to guide nurses, a lack of consistency remains, which can be a detriment to patient safety. Bedside reporting is recommended by TJC, but is not currently part of the nurse to nurse shift handoff report at a local, rural hospital. Framework: The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model was utilized as a guide to find the best evidence to implement and in translating the studies into practice. Method: Pre and post surveys were used to collect data on nursing staff perceptions on bedside reporting. After completing a pre survey, an education module on bedside reporting was shared with participants. Survey results obtained from nursing staff after participating in education were compared to the survey results of nursing perceptions before completing the education module. Descriptive data was obtained by comparing perceptions before and after education. Results: The findings show a positive change in nursing stadd perceptions on bedside reporting as evidenced by an improvement in pretest to posttest survey scores. Post education, there was an increase from 45% to 68% of the participants perceiving bedside reporting as more comprehensive than current reports held in a break-room. One-hundred percent of the participants perceive that bedside reporting was a beneficial form of communication, compared to eighty percent pre education. Conclusion: Educating the nursing staff on bedside reporting has led to an increase in buy-in. This can result in the success and sustainability of bedside reporting on the nursing unit, after full implementation. Tools, such as the ready-to-use Studer Group Bedside Reporting Tool Kit, can provide nurse managers with a valuable resource that may foster the support and sustainability of bedside reporting in their departments.
