• Anat Drach-Zahavy and Olga Shilman.
• Department of Nursing, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
• J Adv Nurs. 2015 Jan 1;71(1):136-47.

AimsTo describe the quality and scope of patients' participation in the handover process, in relation to their personal attributes (the big-5 model of personality) and the handover encounter's characteristics (presence of the head nurse, escorts, ward overload-namely nurse-patient ratio).BackgroundThe scant research, previously addressing patient participation during a nursing handover, generally indicated that there is stillroom for improvement.DesignA quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional design.MethodDuring 2012-2013, we collected data on 100 handovers in five surgical wards. Data on factors of the handover encounter were collected through structured observations of the event and data on personality attributes and demographics were assembled through validated questionnaires; we content-analysed transcriptions of the handover's verbal content for typical content, frequency and quality of the communication.FindingsPatient participation proved bi-directional, consisting of patient's initiative and nurse's initiative. Whereas patient's initiative improved when the head nurse and escorts were present and the unit was less loaded, nurse's initiative was facilitated by the presence of escorts and less overload. As for personality attributes, whereas patient's imitative improved with patient's high neuroticism, high agreeableness and low openness to experience, nurse's initiative decreased with patient's high neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness.ConclusionFindings illustrated the different communication preferences of patients with different personal attributes, as well as the different approaches by nurses to each of these different personalities. Nurses should be taught about communication and ways to engage patients during handover. Patients' education is also warranted including how and when to approach the different caregivers.© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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