If you have worked anywhere in a service industry, you are fully aware of the value of relationships. Whether you are serving retail customers, hotel guests or patients and families in the hospital they must trust that you know what you are talking about, listen to their needs/concerns, and work to meet those needs. Unfortunately, in the healthcare industry, the “customer isn’t always right.” Their wants may not align with their needs and we are constantly balancing service with safety, therefore the strength of the relationship may suffer.

In 2011, approximately 41 million Americans were 65 or older. By 2029, when the last baby boomers reach retirement age, an estimated 71 million Americans will be at this same age, a 73% increase. An aging population presents numerous challenges for healthcare providers, including a key challenge of Medicare reimbursement.

Nobl combines evidence-based practices with intuitive technology to help hospitals document and ultimately hardwire their rounding processes. But, no software, even with great prompts and customizable screens, will make a difference if we are doing the wrong things, or we are doing the right “things” with the wrong intent.

I’m currently working on a literature review to compile evidence and best practices around nurse leader rounding on patients and employees. It is interesting that with everyone jumping on the rounding bandwagon, very few of these published articles in this area are research. Instead, the journals abound with rounding case reviews or process improvement projects all geared toward HCAHPS as an outcome or gold standard of excellence.