Paediatric handover: improving communication techniques
CASE STUDY
A scenario-based microlearning solution designed to improve the quality and consistency of paediatric post-operative handovers. This project addresses communication gaps in fast-paced clinical environments.
- Role: Instructional Designer
- Audience: Registered Nurses (transitioning into Paediatric Surgical Units)
- Environment: High-pressure, time-critical healthcare setting
- Approach: Scenario-Based Learning · Microlearning · Simulation Design
- Tools: Articulate Storyline 360
Project overview
Discovery and Research
A structured needs analysis conducted with clinical stakeholders to understand the gap between current handover practices and patient safety requirements in the Pediatric Surgical Unit.
Knowledge Gap
Paediatric-specific pain and behavioral cues are not part of nurses' existing mental models.
Skill Gap
Active listening under cognitive load during simultaneous task execution is an undertrained skill.
Environmental Gap
No structural cue or protocol prompt exists to initiate or anchor the handover moment consistently.
Attitude & Confidence
Perceived hierarchy prevents nurses from pausing or questioning the surgical team during handover.
Design Implications
- Modules must fit into 3–5 minutes mimicking the window a nurse has between shift handover and first patient assessment.
- Mobile accessible for point-of-need learning.
- Training must center on behavioral observation skills. Nurses already understand SBAR as a concept; they need a pediatric-specific lens applied to it.
- Scenario-based practice with realistic cases to build decision-making speed.
REALISM
Realistic, high-pressure scenarios
A 3-lesson micro-learning series built in Articulate Storyline,
designed around the constraints of shift work:
short, mobile-accessible modules with active practice built in.
Design and Development Process
FOCUS
Active listening and decision-making under stress
FEEDBACK
Immediate feedback based on learner choices
MASTERY
Reinforcement of both technical and observational skills
Flash Cards
Used in Lessons 1 and 3 to build a mental library of paediatric pain indicators. Each card presents a behavioral observation on the front; the clinical interpretation on the back. Spaced across the lesson rather than grouped, to prevent massed practice.
Multiple Choice Questions
Appears after each scenario block across all 3 lessons. Distractors are plausible but reflect common omission errors observed during the needs analysis
Sorting activity
Used in Lessons 2 and 3. Nurses are given a set of handover information items and must drag them into the correct SBAR category. Targets the skill gap of actively structuring information as it is received, not just passively listening.
Lesson Architecture
Each lesson follows the same rhythm . Nurses move through the lesson in a single sitting, with no navigation required beyond "next."
Scenario intro
Scenario intro
🎭
🎭
Flashcards or sorting
Flashcards or sorting
🎴
🎴
MCQ with feedback
MCQ with feedback
💬
💬
Key takeaway
Key takeaway
💡
💡
Next lesson
Next lesson
⏭️
⏭️
Deliverables
Articulate Storyline build notes
The sorting activity was built using Storyline's drag-and-drop interaction with custom states on drop targets — incorrect placements trigger a soft shake animation and return the item to the bank without penalty, keeping the tone exploratory rather than corrective. Flashcards use Storyline's built-in flip animation with a custom slide master to maintain visual consistency across the deck. All layers were reviewed for screen reader compatibility and published with closed caption support enabled.
Impact & Value
- Improved consistency in handover communication
- Reduced likelihood of missed clinical indicators
- Strengthened nurse confidence in high-pressure interactions
- Supported safer, faster clinical decision-making
Organizational Outcomes
Skills Demonstrated
- Instructional Design for High-Stakes Environments
- Scenario-Based Learning & Simulation Design
- Performance Consulting & Gap Analysis
- UX Design for Learning (Cognitive Load, Accessibility)
- Stakeholder Alignment (Clinical SMEs)
- Learning Strategy for Behavior Change
Let’s Connect
Interested in how learning design can reduce risk and improve performance in complex environments? Let’s connect.