Evaluating nursing handover: the REED model

This week’s Twitter Journal Club will be discussing an article by Alison Tucker and Peter Gaff describing the REED (record, evidence, enquire, discuss) model of handover. The authors reflect on the history of nursing handover, and discuss the different types of handover and the need for standardisation. The article provides a step-by-step approach to the implementation of a new model of nursing handover on an acute ward.

You can find the full article from Nursing Standard here, but to whet your taste buds, here’s a short introduction to the piece:

"AN INTERNAL AUDIT of the standard of documentation on one ward in an acute hospital trust in 2004 in England showed poor results and led to the development of a new model of nursing handover. The design of this handover evolved over five years (2006-2011) and it is known as the REED (record, evidence, enquire, discuss) model. The model was evaluated in a pilot comparison study using an audit tool developed for the study to evaluate the standard of documentation. The tool was used on two wards – one where the REED model had been introduced and one using the traditional office-based handover. The study found that the ward using the REED model had improved its standard of documentation (Tucker et al 2009). This article describes the background to nursing handover, and the principles of the REED model, and its potential to improve patient safety, staff efficiency and ‘lean’ working (a model of working which is developed from identifying efficient processes and pathways)."