A recent study from the National Institute for Health Research focuses on intentional rounding in hospitals to understand its efficacy for patients and healthcare providers.

Intentional rounding is a “timed, planned intervention” that aims to “address fundamental elements of nursing care” and was introduced into nursing practice in response to several case failures at the Mid Staffordshire National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust. The study, conducted in England by NHS trusts, examined the implementation of the model in the clinical setting to see how, when, and why it works.

The study examined 108 acute NHS trusts, 33 of which were front-line nurses and 34 were patients. Additionally, 39 nursing staff were shadowed by researchers so that their delivery of care could be observed first-hand.

Ultimately, the study revealed that the effectiveness of an intentional rounding model fell short of the “theoretically informed mechanisms.” The participants expressed that they felt an intentional rounding model “oversimplifies nursing,” and that there is an underlying priority for “accountability and risk management above individual responsive care.”

Although the jury is still out on the effectiveness of intentional rounding, this study opens the door to conversations about the model, and clearly showcases the dedication of nurses and other healthcare providers in finding the optimal ways to deliver care to their patients.

Please read more about the study here.

Source:
https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hsdr/hsdr07350%23/abstract#/abstract