Effects of rounding on patient care
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Effects of rounding on patient care

Sue Langley Divisional head of nursing, Specialist Medical Services, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, University of Salford, Salford, England

Rounding is practised widely in the NHS and nurses should understand its practice and value to patient care. Intentional rounds in the United States have been associated with a reduction in patient harm and increased patient and staff satisfaction. This article identifies the aims of rounding as a nursing intervention and details how rounding is performed. It examines the underlying principles that promote the delivery of safe and compassionate care. Rounding has the potential to improve nursing practice and the patients’ experience of care. However, there are concerns that rounding does not have a justifiable evidence base. This article highlights inconsistencies in the evidence base, challenging the assumptions about the benefits of rounding to patient care and offering an alternative perspective on the perceived benefits of rounding practice. Further research is required to identify the benefits of rounding practice to patient care and to demonstrate conclusively whether achieving the aims and principles of rounding will improve patient care.

Nursing Standard. 29, 42, 51-59. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.42.51.e9951

Correspondence

Sue.Langley@cmft.nhs.uk

Peer review

All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software.

Received: 29 January 2015

Accepted: 26 March 2015

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