Medische overdracht

Handover in the ward: three patients in three minutes

C1 · Advanced · ≈ 27 min · setting: Nijmegen, Arnhem

The handover (overdracht) is the most condensed speech in the hospital: in a few minutes, everything important about each patient must be conveyed. They speak quickly, with abbreviations (RR, sat, IV, NR-beleid) and without introductory words. Here, it's not important to understand every word, but to keep up with the structure: who, what happened, what has already been done, what to look out for.

Question 1: What happened to the patient in room 12 and what has already been done?
Question 2: what does the file of the patient in room 14 say about resuscitation, and who agreed to it?
Question 3: What needs to be checked for the patient in room 16 tonight?
Question 4: Who is expected in the morning and at what time?
Question 5: What are they asking to do with the family of the patient in room 14?

Overdracht — Van de avonddienst naar de nachtdienst

Surgical ward, nine in the evening: the evening shift hands over to the night shift.

Nora
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Sanne
Nora
Sanne
Nora

Four slots per patient

What is handed over

Room
12 — Jansen, 78
What's new
shortness of breath, saturation 91
What has already been done
oxygen 2 L, doctor, chest X-ray
What to look out for
checks every half hour, call if she deteriorates
Room
14 — De Groot, 84
What's new
confusion in the evenings, went into the corridor twice
What has already been done
bed low, brakes on, light on
What to look out for
fall risk; when the daughter calls, tell her about the physiotherapist at 9:00
Room
16 — Aydin, 45
What's new
hasn't passed urine since surgery
What has already been done
scan at 7 PM — 300 ml
What to look out for
repeat around midnight; if above 500 — catheter and doctor

Room	What's new	What has already been done	What to look out for
12 — Jansen, 78	shortness of breath, saturation 91	oxygen 2 L, doctor, chest X-ray	checks every half hour, call if she deteriorates
14 — De Groot, 84	confusion in the evenings, went into the corridor twice	bed low, brakes on, light on	fall risk; when the daughter calls, tell her about the physiotherapist at 9:00
16 — Aydin, 45	hasn't passed urine since surgery	scan at 7 PM — 300 ml	repeat around midnight; if above 500 — catheter and doctor

The order is not random: the most unstable patient first. If there is little time, only the first line is passed on — and it must be heard in its entirety.

Abbreviations and numbers

What you hear on the ward

Abbreviation
de sat
Full form
de saturatie
English
saturation
Abbreviation
RR
Full form
de bloeddruk (Riva-Rocci)
English
blood pressure
Abbreviation
IV
Full form
intraveneus
English
intravenously
Abbreviation
NR-beleid
Full form
niet-reanimerenbeleid
English
do not resuscitate order
Abbreviation
de bladderscan
Full form
echo van de blaas
English
bladder ultrasound
Abbreviation
VAS / pijnscore
Full form
pijn van 0 tot 10
English
pain score
Abbreviation
de dienstdoende arts
Full form
arts die dienst heeft
English
doctor on duty

Abbreviation	Full form	English
de sat	de saturatie	saturation
RR	de bloeddruk (Riva-Rocci)	blood pressure
IV	intraveneus	intravenously
NR-beleid	niet-reanimerenbeleid	do not resuscitate order
de bladderscan	echo van de blaas	bladder ultrasound
VAS / pijnscore	pijn van 0 tot 10	pain score
de dienstdoende arts	arts die dienst heeft	doctor on duty

Numbers in handover are given without units: zit ze op 95 — saturation, een vier — pain on a ten-point scale, driehonderd — millilitres. The context indicates the unit.

Handover words

de overdracht
handover
aandacht vragen
to require attention
benauwd
short of breath
zakken naar
to drop to
de uitslagpl. uitslagen
result (of analysis, scan)
bij verslechtering
if worsening
in de war raken
to be confused, disoriented
het valrisico
risk of falling
de rem erop
brakes on (of a bed)
in overleg met
in consultation with
vastleggen
to document, record
plassen
to urinate
katheteriseren
to insert a catheter
volgens protocol
according to protocol
de dienstdoende arts
doctor on duty
er is niets aan de hand
there's nothing wrong

de overdracht	handover
aandacht vragen	to require attention
benauwd	short of breath
zakken naar	to drop to
de uitslagpl. uitslagen	result (of analysis, scan)
bij verslechtering	if worsening
in de war raken	to be confused, disoriented
het valrisico	risk of falling
de rem erop	brakes on (of a bed)
in overleg met	in consultation with
vastleggen	to document, record
plassen	to urinate
katheteriseren	to insert a catheter
volgens protocol	according to protocol
de dienstdoende arts	doctor on duty
er is niets aan de hand	there's nothing wrong

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Four slots per patient

Abbreviations and numbers

Handover words

1. What was handed over