Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
9-21-2026
First Advisor
Sandy King
Second Advisor
Diane Hare
Abstract
Evidence supports that inconsistent nurse-to-nurse handoff communication may contribute to omitted information, workflow inefficiencies, and patient safety concerns in acute psychiatric settings. The practice problem was the absence of a standardized psychiatric handoff process, which contributed to inconsistent shift report communication. This quality improvement project examined whether the PSYCH (Patient Profile, Situation, Your Clinical Assessment, Care Plan/ Critical Information, and Hindrance for Discharge) standardized handoff tool impacted nurses' perceptions of nurse-to-nurse communication over six weeks. Lewin's Change Theory guided implementation, while the Donabedian Structure-Process-Outcome Model provided the theoretical framework. The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle supported implementation. A pre- and post-implementation design was used with registered nurses in a 122-bed acute behavioral health facility. Eighteen nurses completed the pre-implementation survey, and 19 nurses completed the post-implementation survey. Anonymous, unmatched responses were treated as independent groups. Nurses received a 10-minute education session and used the PSYCH tool during shift report. Perceptions were measured using the 17-item Handover Evaluation Scale. A two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test was used. Median scores increased from 77.50 pre-implementation to 100.00 post-implementation (U = 29.00, z = -4.32, p < .001). Perceived handoff efficiency also increased significantly (U = 51.00, z = -3.66, p < .001). Limitations included a small convenience sample, one project site, and anonymous surveys. Findings support standardized psychiatric handoff as a feasible approach for strengthening perceived communication consistency and efficiency in acute psychiatric nursing practice.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Ranglin-Johnson, Andrea, "Quality Improvement Project: Implementing a Standardized Psychiatric Handoff Tool to Impact Nurse-to-Nurse Communication in an Acute Care Psychiatric Setting" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 393.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/393
