Mid-shift huddles improve outcomes

The introduction of mid-shift huddling at University of Wisconsin Health (UW Health) in Madison improved care for high fall-risk patients, patient handling training and teamwork. Nurse manager and AONL member Sara Schoen, MSN, RN, explained, “The dedicated time for information-sharing and checking in with the entire team better equips the team with needed information to provide safe patient care." Schoen said UW Health’s 15-minute mid-shift meetings differ from 5-minute shift-change huddles, which provide high-level overviews of what staff need to know. The mid-shift meetings involve more detailed discussions of practice changes or educational content. Despite time challenges, Schoen reported staff appreciate the time to check in about unit status and discuss topics they would otherwise read about in an email. (HealthLeaders Media article, 6/21/21)