• Read back: the stage of the handover process where shared understanding is checked and clarified.
  • Responsibility: the state of accepting accountability; being responsible for the quality of patient care.
  • Sentinel event: a rare event that leads to catastrophic patient outcomes.
  • Situation: the stage of the handover process where the principle diagnosis, admission details and other diagnoses and problems are given.
  • Treatment: the medical or surgical management of a patient to combat, ameliorate, or prevent a disease, disorder, or injury.
  • Vital signs: the rates or values indicating an individual's health status, usually including the measurement, assessment and recording of pulse rate, temperature, respiration and blood pressure.