Transparency, engagement, and feedback are all important factors in fostering a culture of safety in healthcare organizations. For a healthcare facility to be considered a high-reliability organization (HRO), it must pursue safety at the highest possible level and adopt processes that prioritize preventing infections, falls, injuries, and medication errors, among other safety risks. In complex, high-risk environments such as healthcare facilities, one proven way to stay on top of high-reliability goals is to adopt evidence-based practices, such as nurse manager rounding.
This article discusses what nurse manager rounding is and the reasons why healthcare organizations must do it regularly. We also provide a nurse manager rounding checklist to help healthcare leaders
What is Nurse Manager Rounding?
Nurse manager rounding (also called nurse leader rounding) refers to the process of nurse leaders directly communicating with patients, doctors, nurses, and other staff members to ensure that safety, patient care, and staff engagement are well maintained in the facility.
Nurse manager rounding can be performed by any healthcare leader, such as an administrator, nursing director, or nursing manager. To keep things running efficiently and not hamper patient care activities, nurse manager rounds are typically performed in 15 minutes or less.
During nurse manager rounding, nurse leaders can ask patients about their overall experience, including how long they waited to get seen, how neat and clean their room is, or how well their pain levels have been controlled or managed. Meanwhile, nurse managers can speak with healthcare staff members to ask if they have concerns or clarifications, seek feedback, or ask them about any safety concerns.
Why Rounding Matters: Beyond the Engagement Survey
Leader rounding, which is an essential practice performed by healthcare leaders, has many advantages, including fostering teamwork among interdisciplinary teams within the organization. By conversing with frontline staff, nurse leaders can discover and promptly address friction points to keep patient care tasks running smoothly in various departments.
Leader rounding also fosters better communication among healthcare workers and leaders. When leaders clearly communicate the plans, processes, and objectives to the entire staff, miscommunication is reduced, employee morale is improved, and operational efficiency is bolstered. By connecting directly with different staff members, from nursing aides to registered nurses, they will be able to establish rapport, build trust, and motivate healthcare professionals to prioritize patient safety and satisfaction.
The impact of nurse leader rounding on retention rates is also worth noting, as consistent and visible leadership presence can allow nurses to air their concerns, give feedback, and receive prompt responses that can positively impact their work experience and provide a greater sense of value within the organization. Having the opportunity to speak with higher-ups and have their challenges addressed will make nurses feel heard and supported, which helps boost overall job satisfaction and retention rates.
The Daily Routine: How to Round Without Wasting Time
These are some helpful tips on how to implement rounding on staff in hospitals:
- Establish clear guidelines: Create a clear process and guidelines for nurse manager rounding. Your organization must determine which leaders will be doing the rounds and the cadence in which manager rounding will take place. Identify how long the rounds will be for patients and staff members, as well as how long it should take for leaders to close the loop or get back to patients or staff members with proper resolution to challenges raised.
- Focus on important questions: Because rounding can happen in a span of just a few minutes, nurse managers should focus on asking the most important questions. Questions about whether they have all the equipment and devices necessary to perform their jobs well, or if they have any safety concerns, are examples of important queries that should be prioritized during nurse manager rounding.
- Document observations: An important part of nurse manager rounding is identifying common and high-risk issues and concerns and documenting them promptly and comprehensively. Ensure that nurse managers have access to the organization’s leadership rounding guide and form. Document all concerns, barriers to resolutions, and possible resolutions.
- Conduct timely follow-ups: Engage directly with each healthcare professional who expressed a concern to demonstrate the facility’s responsiveness and commitment to resolving their issues.
