Examining transfer of care processes in nurse anesthesia practice: introducing the PATIENT protocol.

Human factors, such as inadequate situation awareness, have been associated with preventable accidents in anesthesia practice. Integral to developing situation awareness in the operating room environment is the safe and efficient exchange of essential information when the care of a patient is transferred from one anesthesia provider to another for circumstances such as breaks, meals, and the end of a scheduled work shift. An effective transfer involves the communication of critical information in an effort to preserve the quality and continuity of care. HumaThis article describes a 2-phase, nonexperimental exploratory study with a purpose to (1) examine current transfer of care practices of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists during the intraoperative period and (2) develop, implement, and evaluate a communication checklist tool designed to improve situation awareness. Findings from this study have the potential to contribute to the understanding of current transfer of care practices, promote situation awareness in a swift and organized manner, and minimize variation in transfer of care processes that exist in practice today.