Nurses must provide effective reporting both orally and in writing to ensure continuity of patient care. Common types of reports include change-of-shift reports to pass on important patient information when nurses change shifts, transfer reports which provide details on a patient's condition and treatment when moved between units, incident reports for documenting any unexpected medical events, and telephone reports to communicate time-sensitive patient information. Effective reporting involves concisely relaying objective and relevant details about a patient's status, treatment, and care needs to keep all healthcare providers well-informed.