Nurses' perceptions of patient rounding.
OBJECTIVE
This descriptive pilot study explored hospital staff nurses' perceptions toward the practice of patient rounding.


BACKGROUND
Rounding has re-emerged as a standard practice initiative among nurses in hospitals and has been associated with a decrease in call lights and falls, increased patient satisfaction and safety, and quieter nursing units. Regardless of these outcomes, controversy exists among nurses regarding rounding.


METHODS
The Nurses' Perception of Patient Rounding Scale (K. Neville, unpublished manuscript, 2010) was developed to gain an understanding of nurses' perceptions of rounding.


RESULTS
Nurses identified rounding as valuable and perceived hourly rounding to be beneficial to patients and families but significantly less beneficial to their own professional practice. Challenges to rounding as a practice include issues of documentation, patient ratios, and skill mix.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings support the need for further research to address the challenges of patient rounding for nursing.
Author Affiliations: Professor (Dr Neville), School of Nursing, Kean University, Union; Nurse Practitioner (Mss Lake and LeMunyon); Clinical Nurse Specialist (Mss Paul and Whitmore), Somerset Medical Center, Somerville, New Jersey.
Kathleen
K
Neville
Kristen
K
Lake
Danielle
D
LeMunyon
Darilyn
D
Paul
Karen
K
Whitmore
D006747:Hospital Communication Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000379:methods*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy