This reflection explores the importance of handovers at the beginning of each nursing shift. A handover is a description of how a patient’s behaviour has been throughout the shift, any incidents which occurred and any meetings which have been arranged or need arranging. Throughout the reflection, I discuss my own experience of handovers and how I have progressed throughout my time on work placement. Towards the end of the reflection there is an evaluation and analysis of my own contributions towards handover and the steps I aim to take in the future to improve my practice.
In this reflection, I shall be using Gibbs reflective cycle (1988, as cited in Oxford Brookes University (n.d.)) I have chosen this model as it allows for the opportunity to describe where I can improve this and action plan for future opportunities. Although various other reflective models offer this opportunity, what I particularly like about how Gibbs reflective cycle structures this is the use of evaluation, analysis,
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I have only handed over a patient a few times, in a future placement I could aim to handover more patients in order to improve my confidence in speaking in front of others and also be able to improve my understanding of the patient. I find I absorb information visually rather than auditory, by reading the patient handover to others I would be able to gain more of an understanding of the patient and how their situation could improve. Although I have handed over a patient, I have never taken a handover from the previous nurse. I feel that taking a handover would be positive in my development as a student nurse as when I am qualified I shall need to know the sorts of information which needs to be written down and the best way to go about ordering the information. I have observed many nurses take a handover and all of them structure it