1. By: Jessica Spencer
St. Cloud State University
Student Nurse
Hourly Rounding
Quality Improvement Project

2. Evidence Based Research
Improve patient satisfaction
o Higher Picker scores
Decrease us of call light
Decrease in falls

3. Who Can Do Hourly Rounding
Nurses
Charge Nurses
EMTs
Doctors
PCAs
RT
ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED WITH THE PATIENT
CARES

4. What To Do For Hourly Rounding
THE 5 P’s:
-Pain
-Potty
-Possessions
-Pathway
-Pumps

5. “Is there anything I can do for you
before I leave? I have time to do it.”
“Someone will be back in an hour to
see how you are doing.”

6. When To Do Hourly Rounding
Every hour when the patient is
awake
Don’t wake the patient if sleeping
Every two hours at night

7. Where To Do Hourly Rounding
Any where the patient will be roomed for over an hour
while at the Children’s Hospital
All Floors
All Units
All Areas

8. WHY Do Hourly Rounding
Patient satisfaction
Pressure ulcers
Less falls
Less use of call lights
Nursing satisfaction

9. “Rounding has helped me with prioritization.” –Staff RN
“I feel as though team work immediately improved.” –Staff RN
“Hourly rounding allows me to be proactive versus reactive,
Instead of the daily work controlling me, rounding lets me
control the work.” –Staff RN
“I love it there, someone is always checking on me.” –Patient
“We actually felt as if our brother was the only patient on the
floor. Everyone kept checking on him constantly.” –Patient
family.

10. How To Do Hourly Rounding
Train staff
Charts (rounding log)
White boards
Include rounding as a regular staff meeting agenda
Reward and recognize staff for their efforts

11. “I have had dozens of ED leaders tell me that they never
thought they would get their staff to make hourly rounds.
Yet, once staff saw the benefits, they got on board quickly
and would never consider going back.”
“Once a nurse goes into a patient’s treatment room during
hourly rounds and finds a patient not breathing or climbing
over a bed rail, he or she will be a believer for life. Hourly
rounds keep patients safe.”
-Stephanie Baker, RN, CEN, MBA

12. References
Baker, S. J. (2012). Hourly rounding in the emergency department: How to accelerate results. JEN: Journal Of
Emergency Nursing, 38(1), 69-72.
Callahan, L. et all. (2009). Medication review and hourly nursing rounds: An evidence-based approach reduces falls
on oncology inpatient units. Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(3) 72.
Ford, B. (2010). Hourly rounding: A strategy to improve patient satisfaction scores. MEDSURG Nursing, 19(3), 188-
191.
Gardner, G (et all), (2009). Measuring the effect of patient comfort rounds on practice environment and patient
satisfaction: A plot study. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 15: 287-293.
Halm, M. (2009). Hourly Rounds: What does the evidence indicate? American Journal of Critical Care,18(6), 581-584
Kessler, B., Claude-Gutekunst, M., Donchez, A. M., Dries, R. F., & Snyder, M. M. (2012). The merry-go-round of
patient rounding: assure your patients get the brass ring. MEDSURG Nursing, 21(4), 240-245.
Meade, C.M., Kennedy, J., Kaplan. J. (2010). The effects of emergency department staff rounding on patient safety
and satisfaction. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 38(5), 666-74.
Melnyk, B. (2007). The latest evidence on hourly rounding and rapid response teams in decreasing adverse events in
hospitals. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 4(4), 220-223.
Olrich, T., Kalman, M., & Nigolian, C. (2012). Hourly rounding: A replication study. MEDSURG Nursing, 21(1), 23-
36.
Sobaski, T., Abraham, M., Fillmore, R., McFall, D.E., & Davidhizar, R. (2008). The effect of routine rounding by
nursing staff on patient satisfaction on a cardiac telemetry unit. The Health Care Manager, 27(4), 332-7.