Patient handover: how to get it right and what to expect

Nursing students can find handover daunting at first, as knowing what detail is needed and what isn’t can be hard to judge – so here’s some practical advice

What does the term handover mean?

A patient handover is the system by which the responsibility for immediate and ongoing care is transferred between healthcare professions. They are a fundamental part of nursing practice, and as a nursing student, it won’t take long to come across them on clinical placement, both in acute and community settings.

Handovers are a critical aspect of patient safety, but international research suggests they are often not done well.

What different types of handover are there?