Bedside Shift Report

Doctor smiling as he sits at the bedside and grabs the hand of a patient

According to AHRQ, nursing shift changes require the successful transfer of information between nurses to prevent adverse events and medical errors. Bedside shift report is the practice of having caregivers from an off-going shift working with the oncoming care team to consistently “report off” at the patient’s bedside, assuring the patient and family understand who the new caregivers are and have the opportunity to participate in understanding the plan of care for the next shift.