Nursing handover practices in the emergency department: A descriptive qualitative study

2025-05-13T03:21:50+00:00

Introduction: Nursing handover is a critical communication process for maintaining continuity of care and patient safety in emergency departments, where patient flow, clinical urgency, and workload may change rapidly. In high-volume situations, handover information may become incomplete, documentation may be rushed, and opportunities for family clarification may be limited. This study aimed to explore nursing handover practices in an emergency department, focusing on communication patterns, documentation, bedside validation, family involvement, and barriers during mass patient arrivals.

Method: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted at the Emergency Department of Buleleng Regional Hospital on April 5, 2026. Seventeen participants were selected using purposive sampling, consisting of one unit head, one deputy unit head, two team leaders, six nurses, and seven family members of patients. Data were collected through direct observation, semi-structured interviews, managerial discussion, and document review. The data were analyzed using descriptive thematic analysis.

Results: Five themes were identified: handover as a routine activity, inconsistent structured communication, selective bedside validation, limited family involvement, and suboptimal documentation during mass patient arrivals. Handover was routinely performed during shift changes, supported by verbal reports, medical records, handover logs, and report books. However, when patient volume increased, information transfer became shorter, bedside validation was not consistently conducted, family involvement remained limited, and documentation was sometimes incomplete.

Conclusions: Emergency nursing handover requires a more adaptive system that strengthens structured communication, concise documentation, selective bedside validation, proportional family involvement, and specific procedures for mass patient arrivals.

The relationship between quality of nursing work life and burnout syndrome among nurses at a mental health hospital in Bali Province, Indonesia

2025-05-13T03:45:48+00:00

Introduction: Psychiatric hospital nurses face a high risk of burnout because of heavy workloads and intense emotional demands, which can compromise the quality of nursing care and patient safety. Quality of Nursing Work Life (QNWL) — reflecting the work environment, organizational support, and work–life balance — is a factor thought to influence burnout, yet evidence specific to psychiatric hospital settings in Indonesia remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between QNWL and burnout syndrome among nurses at a mental hospital in Bali Province.

Method: A descriptive correlational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 140 inpatient-ward nurses, selected by simple random sampling from a population of 214, at Manah Shanti Mahottama Mental Hospital, Bali Province, in 2026. Data were collected using the Quality of Nursing Work Life Survey and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and analyzed with Spearman's Rank correlation test (α = 0.05).

Results: Most nurses reported a moderate level of QNWL (64.3%) and a moderate level of burnout syndrome (67.9%). Spearman's Rank test showed a significant, strong, negative correlation between QNWL and burnout syndrome (p = 0.000; r = -0.865): better QNWL was associated with lower burnout.

Conclusions: QNWL is strongly and inversely associated with burnout syndrome among psychiatric hospital nurses. A supportive work environment, balanced workload, and organizational support are recommended as key strategies to reduce nurses' risk of burnout.

Basic and Applied Nursing Research Journal

Nursing handover practices in the emergency department: A descriptive qualitative study

The relationship between quality of nursing work life and burnout syndrome among nurses at a mental health hospital in Bali Province, Indonesia