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.

As a busy baby-boomer with two jobs and an elderly mother, who enjoys time with my husband and adult children, I have purposely avoided getting started watching YouTube, TED Talks, and other social media pursuits because I know that they can become a time drain. The information explosion is addictive! One of the plenary speakers at the 2017 AONE Annual Meeting was Mick Eberling, the founder of Not Impossible Labs.