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View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
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View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
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View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreBy Susan Wessel, RN, MS, MBA, NEA-BC ; Consultant, Creative Healthcare Management
Patient rounds can have unexpected benefits when a few simple techniques are followed. Over time, as I began to refine my approach, I got better results: I noticed that patients became reassured and felt safer, I got meaningful staff compliments, and I learned useful ideas to make care even better because patients felt more comfortable sharing.
I invite you to try these simple strategies for patient or family rounds. They work for executives, managers, supervisors, or those in charge of a shift.
Respectful Entry
Knock on the door or door frame before entering the room. Sometimes you might ask the nurse in advance whether the patient is stable enough for a visitor depending on the situation. Once you enter the room, greet the patient (and/or family) by name and introduce yourself using your title. Patients like knowing that they are important enough to have a visit by someone in a leadership role. Finally, ask the patient if this is a convenient time for a brief conversation about how things are going. Be prepared to come back at another time if that is the patient’s preference.
Sitting at Eye Level
Sitting at eye level is a powerful caring behavior that is well documented to convey that you have time to listen, that you care, and that you are seeing the patient and family as equals in the conversation. It’s worth the time to find a side chair if one is not free in the room. I have also found that taking notes reinforces that you are listening and want to remember.
Start With an Appreciative Question
I have learned the value of appreciative questions in uncovering lovely examples of what is helping patients and families to feel safe and well cared for. These are questions that are worded such that the patient shares something positive. Appreciative questions follow the philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry, and are a powerful way to learn what is going well, and which staff members have provided care that has made a positive difference. I suggest starting every meeting with a patient or family with an appreciative question. Here are some of my favorites:
Ask the “Improvement” Question So that it’s Safe to Answer
After interviewing many patients after discharge, it became apparent to me how rarely they share the truth (if the truth reflects some kind of dissatisfaction) while they are still within our care. The fear of retribution is just too strong. This can never be completely overcome, and yet if the stage is set in an intentional way, we can uncover ways to improve care while patients are still within our organization.
When you are in a seated conversation and have built some trust, the patient is more likely to believe that you really want to know the truth. They won’t be as likely to give us the “fine” answer because they perceive that’s all we want to hear. Consider using an introductory sentence about your desire to provide the best care. Then ask the question using “even better” phrasing. Here is what tends to work for me.
“We take a lot of pride in our care, and we are always working hard to improve. Could you share with me what we could do to make your care even better? That would be very helpful.”
When patients offer concrete suggestions, thank them. It may also be appropriate to apologize if something did not happen the way it should have. If it’s realistic to solve the issue immediately, let the patient know. Otherwise your commitment may be to work on the problem for future patients, perhaps taking it to the right group or person.
Bring the conversation to a respectful conclusion, thanking them for their time. You can promise to pass on compliments you received in addition to following up on suggestions. In some situations, particularly if you are the first line manager, you might leave a card with your name and contact information.
The vast majority of time making rounds leaves me feeling proud and inspired about the quality of care, and I love passing on the compliments I’ve received.
As a consultant at Creative Health Care Management, Susan partners with hospitals to improve patient care through the design and implementation of Relationship-Based Care. She develops leadership teams to build trust, collaboration, and personal accountability. She also specializes in creating an engaged workforce and building professional practice environments consistent with Magnet® Recognition criteria.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's provider credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions for healthcare organizations.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare provider credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All Products