Staff attitudes to a daily otolaryngology ward round

Abstract

This survey investigates the attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards the daily otolaryngology ward rounds in a teaching hospital. Initial, open-ended questionnaires generated themes from which a structured questionnaire was constructed. Respondents indicated on a Likert scale the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements concerning their attitudes towards the ward round. Thirty-five members of staff were surveyed. The overall response rate was 74.3 per cent (n = 26). The majority of staff agreed that the ward round was a constructive use of their time and served to promote team spirit. It allowed for adequate communication between medical and nursing staff but there was uncertainty about the provision of adequate patient communication. The nursing staff agreed that the ward round provided a valuable learning experience. There was uncertainty about this among the medical staff. There was agreement in both groups that patients find the ward round to be reassuring. A significant majority of staff expressed concerns over maintenance of patient confidentiality. These findings could be used to inform changes in the departmental ward round structure. Specific attention should be directed to discussing sensitive issues in a more private setting and maximizing educational opportunities for junior medical staff.

Postgraduate trainees' assessment of the educational value of ward rounds in obstetrics and gynaecology

“…There could be variation in ward round styles, which possibly are dependant upon the personality and individual characteristics of both the staff present and patients being reviewed. Cultural beliefs may also influence attitudes to how a ward round should be structured or conducted (Montague et al 2004). The aims of the ward rounds, however, are by no means universally defined.…”

“…A questionnaire guide (Woodward 2000) was used to help formulate the questions. Although the questionnaire developed was only piloted on two senior colleagues, a questionnaire on similar themes has been reported earlier (Montague et al 2004). A questionnaire comprising of 10 statements was devised around the theme of quality of medical education imparted at, and the overall experience of, ward rounds attended by trainees in the Welsh Deanery Hospitals.…”

Anatomy of the ward round: the time spent in different activities

“…Ward rounds are an important part of patient care, education and interdisciplinary communication 1–3 . Depending upon many factors, they will take varying lengths of time.…”

ICU Rounds: “What We’ve Got Here Is Failure to Communicate”*

“…Lab results are critical to decision-making (6), but they are not always available during rounds (7,8). Artis et al studied the misrepresentation of lab values because lab values are among the most frequently accessed information during rounds (6,9,10) and because it is simple to verify their accuracy using the EHR.…”