Patient huddles: how to improve compliance?

AceOfHearts<3 · Oct 11, 2016

It's dependent on the unit's culture and starts at the top. If this is something that is important to your manager (and it should be) she/he will lead it until it becomes habit and others feel comfortable taking over.

We have a sheet we go over, which we are actually in the process of revising now. It covers things like skin issues (turns, pressure ulcers, wounds, etc), social issues (patients family member is an RN, family works at the hospital, pt has drug seeking tendencies, etc.) impulsive/confused/combative patients, fall risk patients (especially falls PTA, near falls during admission, and falls during admission), lines/tubes (central lines, foleys, chest tubes, NG tubes, etc), isolation education, major procedures, we recently added accucheck pt's to the list to make sure the aides list was up-to-date, and any miscellaneous pieces of info we find important for the unit to know (latex allergy pt, etc). That's our safety huddle.

We also huddle on different things on specific days of the week. We look at barriers to discharges one specific days- why aren't patients leaving earlier on the day they are being discharged (docs not rounding and putting in orders, waiting on test results, waiting on a ride, etc.). We have a goal for d/c before noon (which nursing can't control) and more importantly within 2 hours of the discharge order being placed (which nursing normally can). We look at finances on another day- how many staff members are leaving more than 15 minutes late and why (pt care, charting, report, new late admit, declining pt, etc) and what's happening on days nurses aren't leaving late (lighter workloads, more staff, etc.). Then another day of the week we pick a topic to review- could be a policy or procedure, education piece. We once arranged for a doctor to come give a mini lecture on something we all were a little confused about)

Sour Lemon · Oct 11, 2016

Hello everyone,
I am curious to learn more about what other practices do to make sure that a patient safety huddle gets done every day? How are patient updates shared and care gaps identified?
Appreciate any tips.
Daniel

Here's a tip. The patients don't care if it's time to huddle. They want their needs met and they want them met NOW. There's nothing more annoying that a meeting in the middle of a busy shift. Just send me an email if you think I need to know something. I can read.

Buyer beware, BSN · Oct 17, 2016

Here's a tip. The patients don't care if it's time to huddle. They want their needs met and they want them met NOW. There's nothing more annoying that a meeting in the middle of a busy shift. Just send me an email if you think I need to know something. I can read.

And the best way to improve compliance is to tell them they don't have to do what you tell them to do. (Psyche 101)

This way they will play a valued role in becoming self starters while playing a key role in thinking they might not be contributing to their own demise.

It's all about instilling independence my friends. (Geriatrics 101)

You can't knock your head against the wall too many times before your brains fall out.

Unless the pay is right!

AJJKRN · Oct 17, 2016

Our safety huddles only last a few minutes at a time and are scheduled at different times on different floors. Most of the newer floors do it right before shift change/report. And others floors do it at 0740/1940 about 40 minutes into the shift.

We just quickly go over fall risks, or anyone fallen recently, safety issues like swirling/tanking Pts or ones with the potential: trached, ETOH WD, etc. Customer service concerns too if any. Usually a good time to gauge which nurses are overwhelmed and need help already. Oh yeah, charge nurse leads the huddle.

We have a totally different thing where the nurses, MDs, and PT/CM, etc meet once a day in the morning on day shift at specific times and go over barriers to Pt DC.

Rexie · Oct 17, 2016

On most floors that I work on, if there is a huddle, it goes really quickly. We talk about fall risks, concerns, and whatever management has decided we need to improve. Later, there is another meeting which is also attended by case managers and the physicians and NPs where barriers to discharge are discussed. It is a good opportunity to bring up any concerns with the doctors/NPs.

My favorite floor has a team leader who will speak with each nurse individually to ask if there is anyone we're concerned about. It takes much less time than having a group huddle. It might be easier for the team leader as well - trying to get all of us together during the morning med pass is a challenge.