Hourly Nursing Rounding
Nursing rounding is the schedule or process that ensures a member of staff, either the nurse or the nursing assistant visits the patient's room to offer the needed service to the patient. It is common that during the day, each hour this exercise is repeated and during the night, then after every two hours the patients are visited. Studies have shown that hourly rounding significantly decreases call light use and reduces unit noise levels. The practice also increases the satisfaction levels of both the patients and the staff members. The hourly rounding is also seen to increase staff productivity as they feel that they have control over the patient care. The hourly visits are also seen to significantly reduce the pressure sores that patients who are not able to turn on their own would suffer and also decreases falls that would otherwise be rampant if the rounds were not hourly and the patients attempted to turn on their own (Leslie L.C.,2010). Though important, this practice is not implemented as is required and often has challenges from the members of staff as some hours pass without the patients being visited. This paper seeks to outline the facts behind the hourly visit exercise and the importance of the same. It also seeks to bring out the gracility of the issue through statistical presentations.
The result of the lack of hourly rounding in many nursing facilities is the increase in fall cases among patients as they try to reposition themselves, the worsening of the condition of the patients who are seriously sick through the developing of pressure ulcers and also rampant use of the call light. These are factors that contribute to the general dissatisfaction of the patient and also the overworking of the nurses when they have to handle emergencies. It is therefore important to strategize on the way the hourly rounding can be effectively implemented so as to avoid cases such as above and increase efficiency within the nursing fraternity and increased patient satisfaction in general.
PICOT
Does hourly rounding by the nurses among the inpatients help reduce the fall cases, pressure ulcers and use of call light during the time the patients are admitted in the hospital?
Population focus: The inpatients within a given hospital.
Intervention: Hourly rounding.
Comparison: lack of hourly rounding by the nurses.
Outcome: reduction of pressure ulcers, falls and use of call light.
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