Patient handover in the emergency department: 'How' is as important as 'what'

Involving the emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals in observing and analysing the existing patient handover practices in the ED raised their awareness of the current workplace culture. Transforming behaviour from disrespectful to respectful should include greeting one another, listening attentively to the patient handover and include emergency care practitioners, patients and their significant other in the handover process that should be conducted in a commonly understood language. Emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals should recognise that during patient handover 'how' is as important as 'what'.