Purposeful and timely nursing rounds: a best practice implementation project.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Patient Safety Research
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Purposeful and timely nursing rounds are recognized as a best practice to enhance patient care and safety.
• The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) advocates for hourly rounding to reduce call lights, falls, and improve patient satisfaction.
• Effective implementation requires nurse knowledge and supportive infrastructure for consistent practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve patient satisfaction and safety through the implementation of purposeful and timely nursing rounds.
• To establish goals for patient satisfaction scores and fall reduction.
• To assess baseline compliance with rounding protocols and enhance staff knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute's audit tools for assessing rounding practices.
• Conducted direct observations of staff nurses on a medical-surgical unit to evaluate timeliness and protocol adherence.
• Compared pre- and post-intervention unit-level data on patient satisfaction and safety indicators.

Main Results:

• Rounding frequency nearly doubled, and protocol compliance increased to 64% from zero.
• Patient falls decreased by 50%.
• Modest improvements were observed in nurse communication (5%) and pain management (11%), with a significant increase in responsiveness for toileting (41%). Hospital goals for satisfaction were not fully achieved.

Conclusions:

• Nursing rounds are effective interventions for improving patient communication and staff responsiveness, positively impacting satisfaction and safety outcomes.
• A supportive infrastructure and organized, multi-level staff approach are crucial for successful implementation.
• Sustained effort is necessary to integrate new practices and achieve optimal patient outcomes.