A float pool nurse after a 12-hour shift struggles to hand off critical patient information accurately and completely when the receiving nurse refuses to read notes, creating risk of a missed safety issue (like using a contraindicated midline).

Workarounds Described

• Telling the oncoming nurse to read her detailed note instead of verbalizing all critical info
• Placing physical signs on the patient room as reminders
• Relying on orders in the chart as the primary communication method

Implied Software Gaps

• Mandatory read-and-acknowledge system for safety-critical handoff items
• Concise, auto-generated verbal report summary that highlights recent critical events and restrictions

HandoffLock

A mobile nursing handoff app that structures shift-to-shift report with mandatory safety flag acknowledgement. It generates a concise verbal report supplement, forces nurses to review critical alerts before accepting the patient, and provides a clear audit trail to improve accountability and continuity.