Implementation of a Standardized Handoff Report for Nurse Anesthetists in the Intra-Operative Setting: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Handoffs amongst anesthesia providers are complex, rapid, and frequent. The responsibilities of a nurse anesthetist consist of providing safe and effective anesthesia before, during, and after surgery. While individual anesthesia providers often use systematic methods for giving report, anesthesia departments typically do not use common reporting tools, which may improve the quality and continuity of information, perception of patient safety, and healthcare worker satisfaction. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to assess anesthesia providers' perceptions of adequacy of the PATIENT Mnemonic to facilitate standardized handoffs of anesthetized patients. This quality improvement project was completed at a Level I trauma center located in the southeastern region of the United States. A pre- and post-survey design was utilized to complete a single Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle to assess user perceptions of the PATIENT Mnemonic amongst a non-randomized group of CRNAs. Based on project data, a shorter version of the PATIENT Mnemonic tailored to anesthesia providers at the project site would do well. Eliminating aspects reported to be redundant or unnecessary would shorten the time it takes to give report, may make the handoff process more seamless, fluid, and similar to how most CRNAs already give report. Two limitations of this quality improvement project were the small sample size and limited time for implementation. Overall, continuing this quality improvement project would be a low cost, low risk, and high reward since it has the potential to reduce patient harm and improve patient outcomes.