Summary
Patient participation on nursing wards and the case of bedside shift report
Simon Malfait
INTRODUCTION: This doctoral thesis describes the culture of patient participation among nurses and the use of bedside shift reports (or bedside handovers) as a specific method to increase patient participation on nursing wards.
METHODS AND AIM: In a mixed methods study, 14 nursing wards in Flanders implemented the bedside shift report in order to determine its feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness and effectiveness. By use of observations, qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires, the studies, presented in this doctoral thesis, provide useful insights for the future use of bedside shift report as a new standard in nursing care.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION: The doctoral thesis concludes by stating that the bedside shift report profiles itself as a suitable intervention, superior to the currently used methods for handover without patient participation, for those deliberately choosing for more patient participation and for those willing to make the organizational transition to more patient centeredness.
Key words: Bedside handover, patient participation, mixed methods, complex intervention, communication, nursing
