Observation of handover process in an intensive care unit (ICU): barriers and quality improvement strategy.

Objective: To describe the characteristics and barriers in the handover process in a medical intensive care unit.

Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study using a checklist to observe nurses and doctors during handover of patients in and out of the intensive care unit.

Setting: The study was conducted at a 1000-bed tertiary hospital in Singapore.

Differences in the handover process and perception between nurses and residents in a critical care setting.

Aims And Objectives: To identify the differences in practices and perceptions of handovers between nurses and residents in the critical care setting, so as to improve the quality of the process.

Background: Critically ill patients with complex problems are ideal for the study of handovers. However, few handover studies have been conducted in intensive care units.