225 - An Intraoperative Nurse Handoff Tool for Seamless Communication

Location: Hall E

Primary Poster Author(s)

Windell Cadelina, MPA, BSN, RN, CAPA

Patient Care Director
New York Presbyterian - Hudson Valley Hospital
Hawthorne, New York, United States

Co-Author(s)

Sandy A. Matos, BSN, RN, CNOR (she/her/hers)

Registered Nurse
New York Presbyterian - Hudson Valley Hospital
Putnam Valley, New York, United States
Tetyana Nushtayeva, BSN, RN

Registered Nurse
New York Presbyterian - Hudson Valley Hospital
Cortlandt Manor, New York, United States
Victoria Maccarello, BSN, RN

Registered Nurse
New York Presbyterian - Hudson Valley Hospital
Pine Bush, New York, United States

Disclosure(s):

Windell Cadelina, MPA, BSN, CAPA: No financial relationships to disclose

Sandy A. Matos, BSN, RN, CNOR: No financial relationships to disclose

Description: Purpose (What):
This evidence-based project focused on enhancing communication and ensuring care continuity during intraoperative handoffs in the operating room (OR). The project assessed SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) as a practical implementation tool to address communication gaps.

Relevance/Significance (Why):
Effective handoffs are vital for patient safety and nursing workflows. Research indicates that SBAR, a structured communication tool, improves outcomes in inpatient settings. However, its implementation in operating rooms (ORs) has been limited. Inadequate handoff communication in ORs can lead to surgical errors, delayed care, and poor patient outcomes. Addressing this gap is crucial for enhancing safety during surgical procedures and improving patient care.

Strategy/Implementation/Methods (How):
A pre-and post-intervention design evaluated the SBAR tool's perceived effectiveness in improving handoffs in the OR. Nurses completed a 4-point Likert scale survey before and after implementation to assess the frequency of giving and receiving effective handoffs, ranging from "almost always" to "almost never." Training included simulations and practice scenarios to build proficiency. The SBAR tool was integrated into intraoperative workflows over eight weeks. Post-intervention survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to compare handoff effectiveness changes and identify improvement areas.

Evaluation/Outcomes/Results (So what):
The introduction of the SBAR handoff tool significantly improved the perceived effectiveness of communication among nurses. Before the intervention, only 15.4% of nurses reported "always" or "almost always" receiving effective handoffs; this rose to 69.3% post-implementation. This substantial improvement highlights the positive impact of structured communication on handoff quality. Communication breakdowns, which contribute to surgical errors like medication mistakes and retained foreign bodies, often occur during transitions due to missing or misrepresented information. By implementing SBAR, these risks are mitigated, enhancing patient safety and ensuring smoother continuity of care.

Conclusions/Implications (And now):
Nursing professionals recognize the SBAR handoff tool's effectiveness in operating rooms. It standardizes communication, improves information transfer, and enhances patient safety. This tool has now been adopted and utilized at ten other hospital campuses, proving its relevance in the OR.