Monitor Patient Experience

Healthcare organizations monitor patient experiences in order to evaluate and improve the quality of care. As health care professionals we spend a lot of time with patients, and we have a major impact on patient experiences. To improve patient experiences of the quality of care, as health care professionals we need to know what factors within the nursing work environment are of influence. A lot of things affect patient experiences of the quality of nursing care. Last year on the nursing units we started doing the morning huddles, prior to getting bedside report as a team we are gathered around for the morning huddle. This huddle is basically done every day. Prior to the huddle our unit manager had mentioned he had read it in a journal the morning

huddles improve patient experiences and we talk about important stuff. According to the UC Davis study (2017), “Patient flow improved after the implementation of a daily morning huddle”. What the expectations of the units were and also by doing the morning huddles it was only about five minutes important stuff was talked about, the sitter patients’, or which patients were at risk for falling. This really has been going well so far, before there were never any huddles but now the huddles have a positive effect on patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Although huddles work best when all unit staff members attend, we realize patient safety takes priority, such as during a critical patient situation. Also the huddles provide an opportunity to anticipate patient needs and prepare for changes in staffing and logistics so the day runs more smoothly. This daily, five to ten minute meeting led to increased patient safety, staff and patient satisfaction and positive health outcomes. It also has provided opportunities for learning and information sharing, establishing accountability, and developing trust and mutual respect.