Pros And Cons Of Hourly Rounding

Rounding encourages responsibility and accountability, which increases the staff member’s skill set, and level of care. An increased quality of care leads to fewer readmissions, decreases the length of stay, and provides a safe caring environment. Purposeful rounding provides more patient contact, and a greater understanding of needs for both, the care staff and the patient.
Practice changes are not easily made, but through perseverance and dedication any process can become hardwired. By using key words, most concerns are easily remembered, and addressed; “the main components of hourly rounds include reducing anxiety, addressing the four Ps (pain, potty, position, possessions), assessing the environment for safety issues, and telling the patient
Although, difficulties with implementation were noted with a high staff turnover rate, and some patients felt the rounding ritual was an invasive practice. Kirk and Kane (2016) researched intentional rounding in the emergency department setting, and determined that patient status and deteriorating conditions were more readily noticed and treated. However, the study also highlighted the difficulty of introducing rounding in an emergency room setting due to the high acuity of patients, and staff availability to round repeatedly. Morello, Lowthian, Barker, McGinnes, Dunt, And Brand (2013) reviewed twenty-one studies with various patient safety strategies, and determined that leadership rounding offered a limited impact on patient outcomes and safety climate, but a positive result was noted
Communicate: Allow for question and answer sessions. Be open, honest, and supportive of expressed concerns. Work as a team to neutralize fears and anxieties concerning the proposed change. Frequently seek feedback and opinions from the team members. Make posters or information sheets to alert incoming visitors, patients, and staff of the proposed change. Verbalize the changing process often. Speak proudly and confidently of the change process.
5. Obstacles: Be willing to alter the process. Change does not occur suddenly, and change requires work. If the purposed process is not leading to the desired changes, return to the team table and discuss alternate avenues. Be vigilant in the onward movement of the change. Identify obstacles quickly and devise an intervention to overcome the barriers.
6. Wins: Create small, obtainable goals. Changing a process is not an easy task. Purposeful rounding affects every staff member, as well as every patient that depends on the staff for safe care practices. Change is difficult, and requires a multitude of steps to reach the end goal. By setting smaller, obtainable goals the staff members can visualize a transition. Therefore, small triumphs enhance compliance and dedication to the vision.
7. Improvements: Continuously monitor the progress and/or failures. An ongoing investigation of what is working well, and what needs to be revised is a