Strengthen Your Patient Relationships With Leader Rounding

If you have worked anywhere in a service industry, you are fully aware of the value of relationships. Whether you are serving retail customers, hotel guests or patients and families in the hospital they must trust that you know what you are talking about, listen to their needs/concerns, and work to meet those needs. Unfortunately, in the healthcare industry, the “customer isn’t always right.” Their wants may not align with their needs and we are constantly balancing service with safety, therefore the strength of the relationship may suffer.

Nursing leader rounding on patients has been identified as a way to understand and meet the expectations of patients and their families. Rounding can go a long way toward building and sustaining a trust relationship. However, if the intent and content of the round are not perceived as genuine, or if the staff member fails to follow through on promised services, rounding can hinder trust. In a recent review of literature, the following key elements of a successful nurse leader round were highlighted by Morton¹ in the Patient Experience Journal –

• Round daily
• Verify consistency of care
• Gain real-time feedback
• Perform immediate service recovery
• Follow up with staff regarding compliments and opportunities for improvement

The Nobl Rounding Platform encourages a genuine relationship with patients to ensure their expectations and needs are being met. Quickly documenting rounds, the software uses unit-customized rounding forms to accomplish your hospital's unique goals. This configurable tool allows leaders to uncover, communicate, and resolve issues through automated alerts to other departments. The robust recognition and reporting platform delivers real-time intelligent data, empowering leaders to positively change a patient’s experience.

Learn more about how our hospitals are using technology to improve patient experiences.

Blog written by Dr.Teresa Anderson, EdD, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Nobl