A factual investigation of the information nurses transfer between facilities through nursing summary reports

Abstract

Objective: To clarify the medical care information nurses share among multiple facilities such as hospitals and visiting nursing stations, specialized nursing homes, and geriatric health service facilities in Japan.

Methods: The research design was an exploratory survey study. We administered a questionnaire survey to registered nurses with at least three years of clinical experience from August 2020 to September 2021. Data from 257 participants were analyzed using simple tabulation, chi-square test, and univariate and multivariate analyses. Items that could not be addressed by nursing summaries alone included how to interact with patients and families, activities of daily living, and nursing procedures.

Results: The results indicate that nurses require information on nursing procedures, how to interact with patients and their families, and care. Essential nursing summary report items included infectious disease, allergy, medications, final bowel movements, and tube feeding. The essential items that varied across facilities were commissioned physicians, patients’ perspectives on the disease, regular medical examinations, and peripheral symptoms.

Conclusions: The summary reports were used to exchange information with other nurses, get confirmation of nursing procedures, and get confirmation of the history of the present illness. In the future, they should include customized content depending on the information requirements of each institution. These results can be used as a reference for the nursing summaries sought by recipients, leading to improved quality of care after a transition.