Increasing Patient Satisfaction Through Nurse Rounding

Increasing Patient Satisfaction Through Nurse Rounding

Nurse rounding is important to hospital-based practice because it directly impacts patient satisfaction (Blakley, Kroth, & Gregson, 2011). It serves as a method to improve quality of care by allowing nurses to routinely visit their patients and provide for any needs while also anticipating any safety concerns. Patients’ overall perceptions of hospital experiences are heavily dependent on how successful nurses are in satisfying the basic needs (Blakley et al., 2011). Rounding permits nurse-patient interaction and communication periodically, allowing observation and exchange of relevant information and also implementation of proper interventions. Nurses must practice rounding competently with compassion. By doing so, the patient has the opportunity to be involved in their own care which builds a trusting and positive relationship between the nurse and the patient, ultimately leading to improved quality of care and safety.

Discussion

Rounding is defined as “the process of proactively meeting patient needs by a nurse making a routine visit to patient rooms to check on specific items and perform basic self-care tasks on a regular, consistent basis” (Blakley et al., 2011, pg 328). It is performed at set intervals, usually every hour or every two hours or it may be increased depending on patient status (Forde-Johnston, 2014). Patients at risk include those who are in acute or critical conditions and those in the post-operative period, who require more frequent monitoring to detect early changes, prevent complications, and reduce consequences. Patients post-operatively following surgery or a procedure remain at risk for pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, venous thr...

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...anging as new research and methods are discovered to better serve the patients and healthcare professionals (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). As nurses use rounding in all their patient care, they will become more skilled with the nursing process, especially with assessments and interventions. Patients are the major users of hospitals and deserve the highest level of care with the best outcomes. With nurse rounding, patient outcomes are improving with a reduction in patient falls and pressure ulcers, use of call light, patient complaints, and most importantly an increase in patient satisfaction (Forde-Johnston, 2014). Nurses play a critical role in the patient care experience; they have the ability to transform healthcare by delivering optimal care thereby improving quality and safety through competent and compassionate use of nurse rounding (Blakley, et al.,2011).