In the complex and demanding world of healthcare, ensuring high-quality patient care is of paramount importance. One often-overlooked but highly effective method for enhancing the quality of care in healthcare organizations is employee rounding. Employee rounding is a systematic approach that involves regular, structured interactions between leadership and staff members to build a culture of excellence. In this blog, we'll explore the principles of employee rounding in healthcare organizations and why it is an invaluable practice for improving patient outcomes and employee engagement.
Pediatric leadership rounding, a process where a leader engages in dialogue with both the young patient and their family to discuss their healthcare experience, is commonly executed using a framework similar to adult rounding procedures. The core tenants of how a leadership round should be conducted remain true regardless of the age of the patient.
Far too often I see organizations take a one size fits all approach with their leadership rounding practices meaning they set the same expectations and process design across all patient populations. While this may be the quick way to launch leadership rounding It may not yield the results you’re hoping to get, and leaders could become disengaged quickly. Instead, consider each of the areas you have chosen to round on and think about leadership rounding through the patient’s eyes.
Leadership rounding on patients is a common tactic in acute care hospitals as a way for leadership to understand their patients’ experiences as they are happening and to positively influence the perception of their care.
One of the realities of life is that we are constantly giving and receiving feedback. Sometimes feedback is formal, such as annual performance reviews or meetings with supervisors or faculty. Other times it is as casual as a reassuring smile from a colleague or mentor when mastering a new task or comforting another. How we process and apply feedback is influenced by many things. Comments or feedback might take the mind to a similar stressful experience in the past or to a pleasant memory surrounding a success.
As the surge of the novel coronavirus pandemic reaches a crisis level in many areas of the country, nurse leaders are barely able to address the day to day operations of their facilities and units, let alone think about if, and how, they can round on patients and families during this difficult time. But right now, the value of these rounds goes far beyond our patient satisfaction goals or standardization of processes.
The term “extended stay” refers to patients who are hospitalized for a longer than expected or desired. In the Emergency Department, an extended stay patient maybe an outpatient who stays longer than 23 hours or is “boarded” while awaiting an acute care bed. In acute care, an extended stay is one that exceeds the accepted length of stay (LOS) standardized by third-party payers and regulatory guidelines.
Decades ago, as a new graduate nurse working in a small critical access hospital, I had the opportunity to assist a general surgeon once a week when he and his anesthetist flew into our small town to perform any needed procedures. I was able to reinforce the perioperative nursing skills I had learned during my training and was intrigued by the functioning of the human anatomy and the expertise of the surgical team.
The need for efficient and accessible mental health services has never been higher. The isolation, fear, and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated needs within an already overwhelmed and underfunded system. It is important that every facility be able to a) provide safe and efficient mental health care to promote the well-being of each patient, and b) to maximize their capacity to provide care to more individuals.
In 2008, I was approached by a free-standing acute care rehabilitation hospital to assist them along their initial journey to nursing excellence. In 2013, I celebrated with them as they received their ANCC Magnet Recognition Program™ designation. As I reflect on the five years that I worked with them, I don’t know if I taught them or they taught me. I was humbled at my lack of knowledge about rehabilitation care and the vital role of nursing in this interprofessional collaborative practice.
