Comparison of Bedside Nursing Handoff and SBAR Handoff in Improving Patient Outcome

Evidence-based practice as a Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competency aims at improving patient outcomes, and therefore, it is a fundamental approach in the comparison of bedside nursing handoffs and Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) handoff. The knowledge of the competency includes identification of search strategies that would allow effective location of reliable sources of evidence. Analyses of evidence to determine its impact on care provision by practitioners such as in diagnosis, treatment, and assessment of patients is also an important knowledge. Skills of the competency include employment of adequate search strategies that enable location of answers to clinical questions. They also involve development of guidelines that facilitate decision-making in clinical setups. Attitudes in evidence-based practice include valuing the development of skills that optimize search of evidence to inform best practices and readily acknowledging ones own lack of knowledge prior to engaging in continuous improvement nursing practice. By pursuing evidence-based practice, nurses optimize care delivery to patients by adopting effective procedures that lead to improved patient outcomes.