Nursing Standard podcast: what is intentional rounding – and is it worth doing?

King's College London nursing professor Ruth Harris shares her research

The effectiveness of intentional rounding on hospital wards is discussed on the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast.

Ruth Harris, a professor in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at King’s College London, talks to senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett about her research, which suggests the practice of checking on patients at set intervals does little to improve care.

• RELATED: Has intentional rounding turned ward nursing into a tick-box exercise?

Intentional rounding includes monitoring factors such as the ‘4 Ps’ - the patient’s positioning, personal needs (such as toileting), pain level and control, and placement of personal items within their reach.

It was introduced in 2013 in England as part of the government’s response to care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and is widely used in hospitals.

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