Flowchart

Nursing shift handover flowchart template

A nursing shift handover flowchart: group report, bedside handover, supply and medication count, and sign-off, with a loop for clarifying questions face to face. Adapt it to your unit's policy, then export PNG, SVG, Word or PowerPoint free.

Yes

No

Outgoing nurse tidies unit and charts

Write the shift report

Group report on priority patients

Bedside handover

Check condition and skin

Check lines and infusions

Check pending treatments and tests

Count supplies and medications

Questions or discrepancies

Clarify face to face and add to notes

Both nurses sign

Incoming nurse takes over

Previewed in the “Ink Teal” theme; you can switch themes in the editor

When to use it

Use it in orientation for new nurses, when reviewing handover quality, or as a posted workflow. Bedside handover is split into three parallel checks, and nothing is signed until every question is cleared, which is easiest to show as a loop.

Make it yours

  • Add or remove bedside checks for your specialty, such as device settings in intensive care.
  • Define "priority patients" in the node or in a note under the chart.
  • Handover can be verbal, written or at the bedside; follow your facility's policy.

Mermaid code

nurse-shift-handover-flowchart.mmd
flowchart TD
    A[Outgoing nurse tidies unit and charts] --> B[Write the shift report]
    B --> C[Group report on priority patients]
    C --> D[Bedside handover]
    D --> D1[Check condition and skin]
    D --> D2[Check lines and infusions]
    D --> D3[Check pending treatments and tests]
    D1 --> E[Count supplies and medications]
    D2 --> E
    D3 --> E
    E --> F{Questions or discrepancies}
    F -->|Yes| G[Clarify face to face and add to notes] --> F
    F -->|No| H[Both nurses sign]
    H --> I[Incoming nurse takes over]

Ask an AI for one with this structure

Send the prompt below to ChatGPT or Claude, then paste the whole reply into the editor; the code inside is detected automatically.

prompt.txt
Draw a nursing shift handover flowchart with Mermaid flowchart TD syntax. The outgoing nurse tidies the unit and charts, writes the shift report, and gives a group report on priority patients. Bedside handover follows, with three parallel checks: condition and skin, lines and infusions, pending treatments and tests. Then count supplies and medications. If there are questions or discrepancies, clarify face to face and check again; if not, both nurses sign and the incoming nurse takes over. Use a diamond for the decision and no parentheses in node text. Output only the mermaid code block.

FAQ

Can the three parallel checks run in a single column?

Yes. Chain them instead, such as D --> D1 --> D2 --> D3 --> E.

Can I add times?

Yes. Add a line break and the time in the node, such as Group report<br/>7 am.

Is this a standard?

No. It is an example of structure; handover content and requirements follow your institution's policy.

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Updated 2026-11-11