Hourly Rounding

Nurses Safety

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our hospital recently implemented hourly rounding. but before that we have to go through a one on one teaching session with our manager so we can go through a script on how we will address our patient every time we make rounds (a script...sounds like a play!)

"is there anything else i can do for you? i have time."- this should be the exact words we are required to use before we leave patients room.

(i could bring a recorder with me and play it everytime i check on my patient...hehe! ) of course, our patient are expected to be informed of this hourly rounding. and if we don't show up in their rooms or missed the due time for rounding..patient and family can write us up and complain.:cry:

take note , we are to document this rounding in a piece of paper. if not our attention will be called for not documenting it. so my guess would be unrealistic documentation. why? most of the time you can be stuck in one patient for 45 mins to an hour esp when you have a needy patient. and they rarely provide us with nurse aide or techs.

(can i just clone myself..! maybe clone a secretary so somebody can enter doctor's order while i do my hourly rounding).

well the reason for this because they want a high score on patient satisfaction..oh yes to be recognize!

how about nurses satisfaction? nah..they don't care!

anybody care to react?

Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

You guys wanna hear something REALLY stupid?? OK, yeah my facility has also bought into the whole scripting and hourly rounding crap, but the last time I worked, I actually saw these colorful, elaborate cards that we are now supposed to give patients on admission. These cards talk about hourly rounding and "how it can benefit you" and blah, blah, blah. The first words out of my mouth was, "OMG. I wonder how much $$ this cost the hospital!". I mean c'mon, always crying poor mouth and so can't staff adequately, but you can afford this!!!

Oh but wait...there's more! Not only did we also have to attend a mandatory hourly rounding meeting (ya know, we're too stupid to figure out how to do this on our own), but we are also having key people from admin who will be shadowing us to critique our style of hourly rounding!!! Yes, you heard me right. It really is like someone spitting in your face - so belittling!

What will this look like to the patient??? What message does it send to the patient about the nursing staff, that they have to have someone oversee their hourly rounding??? Amazes me!!

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They have been using that hourly rounding stuff at my hospital for about a year. I think the patients should be checked q1 hr. But I am not going to sign a paper in their room every hour. I work 7p-7a if I have a patient that is sleeping I look at them from the door and watch them breathe a few times. I flat out refuse to go in their room every hour and sign a paper-they need their sleep. As for the scripts those are from the questions the patients are asked in the press ganey surveys patients get on discharge which is the only thing administrators seem to care about these days. Sometimes I feel like they want us to act like we are on a hollywood set. I am not playing that game. I'm there to take care of my patients not play stupid games

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How many patients do you have on this hourly rounding? Are night shift supposed to do it too? I know on my night shift it's enough trouble if people are on q4hr vitals, and even then some of the patients don't want to be bothered by us. We peek in on sleeping people but don't talk to them.

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yes, i worked in an hca hospital. and yes, we will be handing out those colorful cards any time soon, to announce to our patients and their families that we have all the time...( i wish!!!)

during the one on one interview with my manager, i told her that i always say to my patient "do you need anything else before i leave?" and it's no brainer asking that sort of question to your patient...but no,no :nono:...she insisted that we should follow "is there anything else i can do you for you? i have time." ok fine! i'll follow the script because i am being evaluated on this role play(my manager as the patient and me as the nurse).

nurses are not only caregivers, advocates, blame receivers,bellboys, shock absorbers, waitress, carpenters, electricians, customer service rep, maids, ....we are also actors and actresses..wow, hollywood here i come! :lol2:

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
I can't believe this trend toward "scripts"........as if nurses are too stupid even to know how to talk to people. And that silly phrase "I have the time"---what happens when you DON'T have the time, do they just take you out to the town square and execute you?

I love this! I'm a new grad on days in med/surg. Although I've had several jobs before where I managed (see also: juggled) multiple projects / customers at once, it was nothing like nursing!

The other day, I realized that I don't really have a 12 hour shift to spend with 6 patients. I have (if I'm lucky, after report, lunch, "breaks" that I never take, orders, doctors, procedures, etc. ad nauseum) maybe 9 hours to spend with 6 patients... and their friends and family members!

I actually went into nursing (instead of medicine!) because I love helping people. I realized I don't have as much to do this as I thought (hoped?) I would though :cry:

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Holy crap, that was the exact same script they were teaching us to say at our hospital!! And that is in So. Cal. And now the big trend for managers is that they are being taught at there meetings "the Toyota Way" or the "Disney Model". And they have a new thing, it's called a "Power Minute", that's where the manager comes around and tells you something new, you sign that you learned it, or agree with it. I refused to sign one that I didnt agree with and they got all pouty on me till I signed. I'm about to go ballistic!! And the COO announced at a meeting with doctors that they want to get rid of the "old nurses"(not sure it was exactly worded that way) and bring in "new nurses" that can "grow with the company". I'm about to go postal!!

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[And the COO announced at a meeting with doctors that they want to get rid of the "old nurses"(not sure it was exactly worded that way) and bring in "new nurses" that can "grow with the company". I'm about to go postal!!

So they thought they can manipulate new nurses right in front of their nose!!! truly unacceptable.:angryfire Without those "old nurses" or shall I say "full of wisdom nurses" there can be no good future nurses in the field!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.
yes, i worked in an hca hospital. and yes, we will be handing out those colorful cards any time soon, to announce to our patients and their families that we have all the time...( i wish!!!)

during the one on one interview with my manager, i told her that i always say to my patient "do you need anything else before i leave?" and it's no brainer asking that sort of question to your patient...but no,no :nono:...she insisted that we should follow "is there anything else i can do you for you? i have time." ok fine! i'll follow the script because i am being evaluated on this role play(my manager as the patient and me as the nurse).

nurses are not only caregivers, advocates, blame receivers,bellboys, shock absorbers, waitress, carpenters, electricians, customer service rep, maids, ....we are also actors and actresses..wow, hollywood here i come! :lol2:

i actually recently considered applying for an hca hospital. forget it now!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

Ya know, I used to receive recognition cards from patients somewhat frequently. Never once has one said that it was because I told them I have the time and/or rounded on them every hour! (well that'd be b/c I've never scripted...and never will).

One of the best ones I got mentioned how I took the time to educate her about her dx, meds, tx, etc. and that she really felt cared about. Guess that's not good enough.

The only time I think something like this should be enforced might be something like where the lazy nurses have to ask the hard-working nurses if they need any help with anything b/c they have the time :devil:

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
Holy crap, that was the exact same script they were teaching us to say at our hospital!! And that is in So. Cal. And now the big trend for managers is that they are being taught at there meetings "the Toyota Way" or the "Disney Model". And they have a new thing, it's called a "Power Minute", that's where the manager comes around and tells you something new, you sign that you learned it, or agree with it. I refused to sign one that I didnt agree with and they got all pouty on me till I signed. I'm about to go ballistic!! And the COO announced at a meeting with doctors that they want to get rid of the "old nurses"(not sure it was exactly worded that way) and bring in "new nurses" that can "grow with the company". I'm about to go postal!!

So they talk to you for one "powerful" minute, and you have to sign that you agree? ACK! I can't believe you weren't allowed NOT to sign! Could you have signed and said you didn't agree?

And... OMG... I'm a new grad. I may be older than most new grads, but I'm still not an experienced nurse! I could not even begin to imagine functioning on a floor without "old" nurses! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
I actually recently considered applying for an HCA hospital. Forget it now!!!

I work for an HCA hospital. Other than being new and being utterly terrified of being on my own, I'm quite happy with the facility. I hope this hourly rounding doesn't come our way because we barely have enough time as it is! :crying2:

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
Ya know, I used to receive recognition cards from patients somewhat frequently. Never once has one said that it was because I told them I have the time and/or rounded on them every hour! (well that'd be b/c I've never scripted...and never will).

One of the best ones I got mentioned how I took the time to educate her about her dx, meds, tx, etc. and that she really felt cared about. Guess that's not good enough.

The only time I think something like this should be enforced might be something like where the lazy nurses have to ask the hard-working nurses if they need any help with anything b/c they have the time :devil:

It sounds like this hourly rounding might be their attempt at doing this. Maybe it's the passive-aggressive way of getting the lazy few to come up to par with the rest. And, while the rest may not have to round hourly to show they care for their patients, management is the same no matter where you are: They still make stupid decisions to blanket a whole group when only a handful need counseling (or firing...) :down:

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