Shift Handover

Overview

Shift Handover ensures continuity of care and operations when staff members change shifts. The outgoing staff records important notes, pending tasks, critical patient situations, and treasury balance for the incoming staff. The system requires acknowledgment from the receiving staff member, creating an auditable record of information transfer between shifts.

Creating a Shift Handover

1. Navigate to the Handover section — Available from the dashboard quick actions or Settings > Shift Handover.
2. Click "New Handover" — The handover form opens with your name pre-filled as the outgoing staff.
3. Fill in handover details:
   • Shift date — Today's date (auto-filled)
   • Shift type — Morning, afternoon, evening, or night
   • To staff — Select the incoming staff member from the dropdown
   • Notes — General notes about the shift (what happened, any issues)
   • Pending tasks — List of tasks that need completion (e.g., "Call patient Ahmed for lab results", "Follow up on insurance approval for Room 3")
   • Critical patients — List patients who need special attention with reasons (e.g., patient_name: "Mohamed Ali", reason: "Waiting for urgent lab results")
   • Treasury balance — Current cash balance in the till (for reception/cashier shifts)
4. Submit handover — Click Save. The handover is created with acknowledged = false.

Acknowledging a Handover

1. The incoming staff member receives a notification about a pending handover.
2. They open the handover, review all notes, pending tasks, and critical patients.
3. Click "Acknowledge" to confirm receipt. This sets acknowledged = true with acknowledged_at timestamp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a handover after submission?

You can add notes before the receiving staff acknowledges it. Once acknowledged, the handover is locked to maintain its integrity as a record.

What if no specific staff is assigned to receive?

The to_staff_id field is optional. You can create a handover without a specific recipient, and any staff member working the next shift can acknowledge it.

Are handovers included in the audit log?

Yes. Handover creation and acknowledgment are logged in the audit trail for compliance purposes.