To develop a policy to address an issue identified in a practice setting in nursing - Research Paper Example

This is achievable through the establishment of an effective bedside policy that promotes effective hand off in the health care setting. Reporting in this case refers to the transfer of accountability, responsibility, and authority of a patient and their care from one caregiver to another. Bedside reporting, on the other hand, refers to a concept that involves providing a report to the incoming caregiver in the presence of a patient. This report provides a policy that seeks to maximize the benefits bedside report (Athwal, Fields, and Wagnell, 2009).

To maximize the benefits of bedside report in the hospital, nurses will be required to adhere to the following policy initiatives. Firstly, immediately on the day of admission, a bedside nurses or any other hospital staff will be required to explain briefly the process to patients and families, as well as invite patients and families to form part of the bedside shift report. In addition, bedside shift nurses will be required to give patients a brochure on the bedside shift report. Secondly, at each shift, nurses must ensure that the shift report takes place at the patient’s bedside.

At the same time, nurses will be required to invite patients and families to take part in the shift report. Anderson and Mangino (2006) observed that, in some instances, patients or families might not be privy to certain information or diagnosis. However, bedside shift report is not the right place to discuss bad news. In this regard, nurses will be required to refrain from divulging any sensitive information or diagnosis during bedside shift. Instead, they will be required to follow the procedure set out by the hospital for discussing such sensitive information.

Families also tend to complicate matters during bedside shift report (Griffin, 2010). This sometimes makes it difficult for nurses to know