The Effects of Hourly Rounding on Patient Satisfaction

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Literature review
Reference List

Abstract

This project has been implemented in order to raise the satisfaction rates of in-hospital patients. Much attention will be paid to the needs of people who strongly depend on the assistance of nurses. In order to gather relevant information, I studies several peer-reviewed articles. These sources were taken from EBSCOhost database. Some of the sources were not chosen because they were not directly related to the use of hourly rounds. Moreover, the preference was given to quantitative studies, rather than qualitative ones. Overall, the authors concur that hourly rounds are critical for increasing patients’ satisfaction with the treatment that they receive. Furthermore, this practice is important for minimizing the risks of adverse events such as patients’ falls or inability to provide timely assistance to patients. Possible barriers to the implementation of this project can be explained by budget limitations. Its implementation is based on the use of Stetler Model which is important for introducing innovations.

Introduction

This project is aimed at introducing an hourly rounding schedule for nurses as well as unlicensed personnel. Moreover, it is necessary to measure the effects of this innovation on the satisfaction of patients. This proposal is based on the use of Stetler Model which is helpful for describing the implementation of innovative practices. This paper will include a literature review showing that the suggestions included in this paper are based on empirical evidence. Additionally, it is necessary to provide the description of the implementation process.

Literature review

Preparation

The first phase of Stetler Model is preparation which implies that it is necessary to identify the purpose for consulting empirical evidence. In this case, one should speak about the need to improve the quality of services that the hospital provides to in-hospital patients. Additionally, it is vital to find ways of reducing the risk faced by people who are highly dependent on the assistance of nurses and other medical workers.

Validation

Overall, researchers speak about the use of hourly rounding as a valuable tool for improving the experiences of patients. In this case, the main task of nurses is to anticipate the needs of patients and identify possible problems at early stages (Ford, 2010, p. 189). For instance, the empirical study carried out by Beverly Ford (2010) indicates that the application of this strategy is useful for increasing people’s satisfaction with the work of nurses. This intervention was applied to a group of 51 patients who were included in the control group, and this approach had a beneficial effect on their experiences. This study can be improved if the researcher had increased the sample of the study. Additionally, the intervention could have been tested in different settings. These are some of the suggestions that can be offered.

Additionally, one can consider the research article by Margo Halm (2002) who reviews various empirical articles which highlight the necessity for checking patients at regular intervals. This analysis indicates that hourly rounding can bring several important benefits such as the increase of patients’ satisfaction, prevention of falls, and minimizing the risk of pressure ulcers (Halm, 2009). The main advantage of this study is that the author is able to examine the efficiency of this method in various settings. The key limitation is that Margo Halm examines only 11 reports. Nevertheless, the validity of the scholar’s conclusions is not undermined. This is one of the points that can be made.

This practice can be applied to patients who may struggle with different health problems. Apart from that, one should mention that hourly intervention can be more effective provided that medical workers can identify patients requiring regular interventions and monitoring (Tucker et al., 2012). Overall, the use of hourly rounding is vital for improving patients’ satisfaction. Researchers note that this intervention is particularly useful in the so-called high-dependency units (Lowe & Hodgson, 2012). In many cases, the movement of these people is significantly impaired. This procedure will be of great benefit to them.

Overall, the findings suggest that this intervention is important for improving the experiences of patients and promoting safety in medical organizations. Additionally, this approach can be relevant to various in-hospital patients, especially those individuals who cannot move independently. To a great extent, this discussion represents the second phase of Stetler Model. This stage is called validation, and at this point, it is necessary to determine whether there are relevant findings that can fit the needs of medical workers. Overall, there is compelling evidence suggesting that there are effective innovational practices that can benefit many patients.

Description of the problem or the need for change

At present, the hospital has to find ways of improving the experiences of patients who have to be hospitalized due. Many of these people are not able to move without external assistance. Additionally, in many cases, the incidents, in which these people are involved, can be explained by the fact that they do not interact with nurses and other medical workers on a regular basis. In many cases, these patients are dissatisfied with the quality of care that they receive. In turn, the adoption of the hourly rounding schedule can be useful for the resolution of this problem. This assumption is confirmed by various empirical studies included in the literature review.

Comparative decision-making

Admittedly, it is possible to consider alternative policies such as the use of technologies which enable patients to call nurses or other medical workers as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, one should keep in mind that these tools are widely used. In contrast, hourly rounds contribute to effective communication between patients and medical workers. By communicating with patients, nurses will be able to identify possible risks at early stages. This is why this option should not be overlooked. Overall, this discussion corresponds to the third stage of Stetler Model at which a person should determine whether a specific solution should be adopted. Overall, it is possible to argue that the use of hourly rounds can be a viable solution.

Application

The implementation of this innovation incorporates several important steps. At first, it is important to discuss this innovation with hospital administrators and get their approval for the project. At this point, it is critical to make sure that the project is adequately funded. Secondly, it is necessary to develop a new schedule for the nurses and unlicensed personnel. These people should be asked to visit patients at least once during an hour. Additionally, it is necessary to explain the benefits of this specific intervention. In other words, the nurses should understand that the new requirement is important for improving the welfare of patients. It is possible to summarize the findings derived in the literature review. This information can be presented in the form of a leaflet. Finally, medical workers should clearly understand how this new practice will be adopted.

It is also critical to make sure that solution is properly implemented. For example, one can ask the patients if they were visited on a regular basis. This precaution is important for the proper evaluation of a specific solution. One should keep in mind that sometimes, a practice can be discarded because it was poorly implemented. This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided.

Evaluation

Much attention should be paid to the evaluation of this approach. In particular, it is necessary to carry out patient surveys before and after the implementation of these program. This step is critical for determine the extent to which the innovation changes patients’ satisfaction rates. In addition to that, one can measure the number of adverse events such as falls within the hospital. Furthermore, this innovation can be innovated from a purely financial viewpoint. One can compare the costs associated with the adoption of new practices and the expenses that related to various adverse events such as falls. In many cases, the expenses caused by inefficient practice are likely to be higher that than the costs of a new policy. This is one of the arguments that can be advanced.

The results of this intervention can be distributed to various stakeholders who can be involved in the implementation of this project. For instance, the results of patients’ surveys should be provided to hospital administrators who need to decide whether a specific intervention should be adopted on a regular basis. These are the main steps that can be identified.

Level of Evidence Grid

Citation (APA)	Purpose	Sample	Design	Measurement	Results/Conclusions	Ranking
Ford, B. (2010). Hourly rounding: a strategy to improve patient satisfaction scores. MEDSURG Nursing, 19(3), 188-191.	Determine whether the satisfaction of patients can increase due to the use of hourly rounds.	29 females and 22 males	Experimental study	Satisfaction survey	Hourly rounds lead to the increased satisfaction of patients.	Level III
Halm, M. (2009). Hourly rounds: What does the evidence indicate?. American Journal Of Critical Care, 18(6), 581-584.	Provide a systemic review of empirical studies related to the use of hourly rounds.	11 Reports	Systemic review	Patients’ satisfaction rates, number of falls.	Hourly rounds are important for increasing patients’ satisfaction rates and minimizing adverse events.	Levels V
Lowe, L., & Hodgson, G. (2012). Hourly rounding in a high dependency unit. Nursing Standard, 27(8), 35-40.	Determine if hourly rounds can be useful for preventing adverse events in hospitals	25 patients in a high dependency unit	A control trial.	The tool which is known as Safety Thermometer	The use of hourly rounds reduces the risk of adverse effects in medical institutions.	Level III
Tucker, S. J., Bieber, P. L., Attlesey-Pries, J. M., Olson, M. E., & Dierkhising, R. A. (2012). Outcomes and Challenges in Implementing Hourly Rounds to Reduce Falls in Orthopedic Units. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 9(1), 18-29.	Evaluate the effectiveness of hourly rounds for reducing the number of falls within hospitals.	“Two 29-bed postoperative orthopedic units” (Tucker et al. 2012).	A repeated measures design	Fall rates	The study suggests that a nurse should take an individualized approach to patients since not all of them require hourly rounding.	Level III

Level III evidence derived from quasi-experimental studies
Level V evidence derived from system reviews

Reference List

Ford, B. (2010). Hourly rounding: a strategy to improve patient satisfaction scores. MEDSURG Nursing, 19(3), 188-191.

Halm, M. (2009). Hourly rounds: What does the evidence indicate?. American Journal Of Critical Care, 18(6), 581-584.

Lowe, L., & Hodgson, G. (2012). Hourly rounding in a high dependency unit. Nursing Standard, 27(8), 35-40.

Tucker, S. J., Bieber, P. L., Attlesey-Pries, J. M., Olson, M. E., & Dierkhising, R. A. (2012). Outcomes and Challenges in Implementing Hourly Rounds to Reduce Falls in Orthopedic Units. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 9(1), 18-29.

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