Patient, family and nurse experiences with patient presence during handovers in acute care hospital settings: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the best available evidence on patients', family members' and nurses' experiences with bedside handovers in acute care settings.

Introduction: The transfer of patient information between nurses represents a critical component of safety within health care. Conducting handover at the bedside allows patients and families to participate in information exchanges.

A qualitative study on the transfer of residents between a nursing home and an emergency department.

Nursing home (NH) residents who have exacerbations of chronic health conditions or new illnesses must generally go the emergency department (ED) for health care, later returning to the nursing home when it is felt that they are no longer require acute care. Transfers between settings of care are referred to as transitions, and research has shown that residents are at risk of experiencing negative health outcomes during these periods. This article reports on a qualitative study of resident transfers between one NH and one ED in Canada.

Caring for patients with dementia in an acute care environment.

Although hospital nurses are skilled in meeting the acute health needs of the elderly, they may not have the expertise required to manage the behavioral disturbances typically seen in this population. Using the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model (PLST), this article helps identify factors that may precipitate undesirable behaviors in the acute care setting and suggests strategies to help nurses prevent or control them.