Abstract
Background: Timely updating of nursing care plans during shift changes is essential to ensure continuity of care, accurate documentation, and effective communication among nurses. Baseline audits in the Male Medical Ward at Wadi Al-Dawasir General Hospital (WDGH) revealed delays and inconsistencies in care plan updates during handovers, leading to potential gaps in patient information and safety risks.
Objectives: This quality improvement project aimed to achieve ≥95% compliance in timely updating nursing care plans during shift changes by Q3 2025 and to enhance continuity and quality of patient care through standardized handover protocols and regular audits.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post intervention design was implemented in the Male Medical Ward from July to September 2025. Interventions included staff training on documentation standards, development and implementation of a care plan update checklist, placement of visual reminders, and regular audits with feedback. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were care plan update compliance, documentation accuracy, and staff adherence to the handover checklist. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and trend analysis.
Results: Care plan update compliance improved from 68% at baseline to 96% post-implementation. Documentation accuracy increased from 70% to 97%, and staff adherence to the handover checklist rose from 65% to 94%. Mid-project values in August 2025 were 84%, 88%, and 80%, respectively, indicating a steady upward trend across all indicators.
Conclusion: Standardizing the handover process through a care plan update checklist, combined with focused staff training and continuous audits, significantly improved the timeliness and accuracy of nursing care plan documentation. The intervention enhanced continuity of care and can be replicated in other wards to promote safe and effective shift handovers.