For some nurse managers, implementing a purposeful rounding process within their unit can be difficult. This type of procedure requires a set routine, and nursing teams sometimes have a hard time adapting. Despite these difficulties, studies have proven that purposeful rounding can improve staff/patient communication, increase patient safety and lead to greater unity among your nursing team. So what goes into purposeful rounding, and what are the best methods for implementing this process into your facility?
Purposeful Rounding Defined
The goal of purposeful rounding is to deal with patients’ needs in the most effective manner possible. Sometimes, this process is known as hourly rounding, but having a healthcare worker check in on a patient every hour may not be feasible for some units. Still, the basic principle still applies: make sure that patients get the medical and personal care they need, when they need it. By staying on top of patient care in this way, you can take care of potential problems before they snowball into major issues.
Create a Routine
The first step to implementing a purposeful rounding process is to create a list of what type of care your patients typically need. This list will vary to some degree between facilities, but there are some general elements you should include. For example, upon entering a room, the nurse should ask the patient if they have any immediate concerns or follow up on concerns that were raised during the last check-in. Additionally, nurses should examine the room to make sure that it is clean and safe, while also checking to see if the patient has easy access to personal items. Finally, nurses should reassure patients before they leave, telling them when they should expect the next caregiver visit.
See it Through
If you want to successfully implement an effective rounding procedure, it’s not enough to simply create a checklist and pass it off to your nursing staff. When implementing the new procedure, nursing managers and team leaders need to walk through the procedure with the rest of the staff, making sure that it is followed throughout the day. This type of handholding may feel overbearing, but it is often necessary to ensure that the rest of the staff understands the purpose of the new procedure and the elements involved. Once everyone is on the same page, the new rounding process will simply become everybody’s daily routine, and no one will think twice about it.
Trust Pulse Staffing With Your Staffing Needs
The experts at Pulse Staffing have been helping medical facilities with their staffing needs since 1988. Our specialists work with a wide variety of healthcare providers across Southeast and Central Texas, identifying top nursing and support staff candidates to suit their needs. If you’d like to learn more about how Pulse Staffing can help your facility, give us a call today or contact our team online.
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