Patient Safety and Satisfaction in Light of Nursing Rounds

¶ … Evolving Role of Call Lights and Nursing Rounds in Hospitals

The use of call lights in hospital settings has increasingly come under study as a function of nursing shortages, changes in nursing rounds, and robust studies of patient outcomes. The scheduling of regular nursing rounds may be pivotal to the ability of nurses to address common, mundane patient issues compared to more critical needs that have been considered the primary target for patient call light use. In addition to patient safety and general well-being while hospitalized, nursing staffs are concerned with patient satisfaction. On a fundamental level, patients who experience peace of mind may heal more quickly, may relay fewer stressful communications to their family members, and may attain a clarity of perspective that enables them to differentiate among their many needs and desires while confined to their beds. The institutionalization of regular and frequent nursing rounds may alleviate patient anxiety about whether their needs will be met and whether their comfort is a priority for nursing staff. Regular nurse rounds may also help to establish a level of predictability that can serve as a coping mechanism during difficult or lengthy hospital stays.

The proposed PICOT question focuses on an inquiry designed to clarify these issues in accordance with evidence-based research.

P = Population / Patient Problem

I = Intervention

C = Comparison

O = Outcome

T = Time

P = Non-ambulatory patients in acute care

I = Hourly nurse rounds and call light use

C = Call light use only