The Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) team of the cardiac surgical intensive care unit at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, created a standardized handoff tool for safety checks. This tool included pacemaker settings, chest tube water levels, intravenous drip verification, laboratory test results, and order history.

The CSI team provided comprehensive training to all unit staff on project goals and emphasized the importance of integrating safety checks into handoffs. The team conducted regular audits to assess handoff tool usage and gathered feedback. Reeducation was completed to help change the unit’s culture. Staff members who used the handoff tool were acknowledged through raffle drawings. Visual aids showed the progress of the project.

The following outcomes were achieved after implementation of the standardized handoff tool:

To sustain this change, the CSI team and designees will continue to educate new staff, encourage peer-to-peer accountability and recognition, and audit compliance.

The CSI team...

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