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Shift Handover

Create and acknowledge shift handovers with pending tasks, critical patients, and treasury balance

3 min read

Overview

The Shift Handover feature in SehaFile ensures smooth transitions between clinical shifts. When a doctor or nurse ends their shift, they create a handover document that includes notes about the shift, a list of pending tasks, critical patients requiring attention, and the treasury balance (if handling cash). The incoming staff member acknowledges the handover, creating a documented chain of responsibility.

Shift handover form showing shift type selector, notes text area, pending tasks list, critical patients section with name and reason, and treasury balance field

Creating a Shift Handover

  1. Navigate to Settings > Shift Handover — Or access from the quick actions menu in the dashboard (path: /settings/shift-handover).
  2. Click “+ New Handover” — The handover creation form opens.
  3. Set the shift details:
    • shift_date — The date of the shift being handed over
    • shift_type — Morning, afternoon, or night shift
    • to_staff_id — The incoming staff member (optional, can be set later)
  4. Write handover notes — Summarize important events during your shift in the notes field. Include anything the next person needs to know.
  5. List pending tasks — Add items to the pending_tasks array:
    • Patients waiting for results
    • Prescriptions to be called in
    • Follow-up calls to make
    • Referrals to process
  6. Document critical patients — Add entries to critical_patients with patient_name and reason for each patient requiring special attention.
  7. Record treasury balance (if applicable) — Enter the cash balance in the treasury_balance field for financial accountability.
  8. Submit — The handover is created with from_staff_id set to your user ID.

Acknowledging a Handover

  1. View latest handover — Navigate to Shift Handover and check the latest entry (GET /settings/shift-handover/latest).
  2. Read the handover details — Review notes, pending tasks, and critical patients.
  3. Click “Acknowledge” — This calls PUT /settings/shift-handover/:id/acknowledge, setting acknowledged = true and acknowledged_at timestamp.
Create your handover 15-30 minutes before your shift ends to ensure completeness. Review the pending reviews dashboard and follow-up list to capture any outstanding items.
Unacknowledged handovers indicate a gap in the responsibility chain. The clinic admin receives an alert if a handover remains unacknowledged for more than 2 hours after creation.

FAQ

Is shift handover mandatory?

This depends on your clinic's policy. Many clinics require handovers for all clinical staff at shift changes. The feature is available for doctors, nurses, and receptionists.

Can I view past handovers?

Yes. The handover list (GET /settings/shift-handover) supports filtering by date and shift_type. This creates a historical record of all transitions.

What if no one acknowledges my handover?

The handover remains in “pending acknowledgment” state. The admin is notified, and the incoming staff should acknowledge upon arrival.

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