TRANSFER
Patient transfer—either within your facility or to another one—requires thorough preparation and careful documentation. Preparation includes an explanation of the transfer to the patient and his family, discussion of the patient's condition and care plan with the staff at the receiving unit
P.5

or facility, and arrangements for transportation if necessary. Documentation of the patient's condition before and during transfer and adequate communication between nursing staffs ensure continuity of nursing care and provide legal protection for the transferring facility and its staff.
Equipment
Admission inventory of belongings • patient's chart, medication record, and nursing Kardex • medications • bag or suitcase • wheelchair or stretcher, as necessary.
Implementation
  • Explain the transfer to the patient and his family. If the patient is anxious about the transfer or his condition precludes patient teaching, be sure to explain the reason for the transfer to his family members, especially if the transfer is the result of a serious change in the patient's condition. Assess his physical condition to determine the means of transfer, such as a wheelchair or a stretcher.
  • Using the admissions inventory of belongings as a checklist, collect the patient's property. Be sure to check the entire room, including the closet, bedside stand, overbed table, and bathroom. If the patient is being transferred to another facility, don't forget valuables or personal medications that have been stored.
  • Gather the patient's medications from the cart and the refrigerator. If the patient is being transferred to another unit, send the medications to the receiving unit; if he's being transferred to another facility, return them to the pharmacy.
  • Notify the business office and other appropriate departments of the transfer.
  • Have a staff person notify the dietary department, the pharmacy, and the facility telephone operator about the transfer (if within the facility).
  • Contact the nursing staff on the receiving unit about the patient's condition and drug regimen and review the patient's nursing care plan with them to ensure continuity of care.