The accreditors of this session require that you periodically check in to verify that you are still attentive.
Please click the button below to indicate that you are.
The Effect of Intentional Rounding on Patent Satisfaction in Ambulatory Care Clinics
Learning objective: Evaluate whether the inclusion of intentional rounding by nursing staff affects the satisfaction of patients attending a clinic appointment. Description: Intentional rounding (IR) is purposeful therapeutic communication between nurses and patients during regular checks with patients using standardized protocols. Evidence suggests that IR may reduce the incidence of patient falls and medication errors, and may improve pain management, earlier detection of patient deterioration, and patient satisfaction. Further, IR is associated with better communication between staff and patients. We were unable to find a study or QI project of IR that involved nurses of ambulatory care patients. Our health care system has an ambulatory care rooming protocol that states nursing staff members should intentionally round on patients every 15 minutes. However, this policy is inconsistently implemented across ambulatory care clinics. Patients in some clinics were not being updated properly as they waited during their appointments. Other patients were told they could leave appointments before the provider was done with the visit, causing confusion, miscommunication, potential errors, and patient dissatisfaction during appointments. Evaluation/outcome: Our intervention used AIDET (acknowledge, introduce, duration, explanation, thank you) as a rounding communication strategy to keep patients informed during clinic appointments. Clinic nursing staff kept track of patients every 15 minutes in one of two options to time their IR: 1) whiteboards placed outside patients' doors on which rounding time was tracked or 2) timers in EPIC to monitor rounding times. The nursing staff of three clinics participated in this project. The Press-Ganey Medical Practice Survey item “degree to which you were informed about any delays” was the project outcome measure. This item was measured on a 5-point Likert scale and provided as part of a de-identified monthly report to clinic managers. Data was collected in November 2023 (pre-intervention) and monthly from February to May 2024 (post-intervention) and analyzed by frequencies. Conclusions: This project has assisted the nursing staff in improving patient satisfaction and communication with patients as they move through their clinic visits. We plan to continue and expand intentional patient rounding within our clinics.
Learning Objective
After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice.
Seeking the right level of care at the right time can help prevent delay in care and unnecessary cost. Different modes to seek care have been developed to meet the complex needs of patients, but patients may not be able to track the resources available to them…
Background: In 2010, the American healthcare system experienced an increased growth in the ambulatory care setting with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. As ambulatory care visits continue to increase, so does the potential for medical emergencies within the ambulatory care setting…
This session describes the role development, responsibilities, contributions, and early lessons learned associated with the newly create role of an ambulatory care nurse scientist…
Patient safety has traditionally focused on inpatient care with little focus and interventions in ambulatory care, largely due to the perception of more control in the inpatient environment…
Privacy Policy Update: We value your privacy and want you to understand how your information is being used. To make sure you have current and accurate information about this sites privacy practices please visit the privacy center by clicking here.