Adaptability of nursing shift handovers: theoretical insight from organization science

Nursing shift handovers are institutional routines aimed at the transfer of patient information and responsibility among teams of caregivers at the change of shift. They are essential to patient safety and a priority concern for regulatory institutions. Standardization of information transfer during nursing shift handovers is now mandatory in many hospitals. But to date, no study has shown that standardized handover protocols actually improve patient condition. In organization science, research on contingency theory has shown that standardization is efficient only when uncertainty is low This paper examines how the research on handovers and practical design of handovers could be informed by approaches stemming from contingency theory. The following aspects of adaptability are proposed for more thorough investigation in relation to uncertainty in the unit: adaptability of functions, adaptability of contents, and adaptability of structure.