J Emerg Med
-
Multicenter Study
The effects of emergency department staff rounding on patient safety and satisfaction.
Two recent inpatient studies documented that regular nursing staff rounding increased patient safety and satisfaction. However, the effect of systematic emergency department (ED) staff rounding on patient safety and satisfaction has not been adequately tested. ⋯ Rounding in the ED reception and treatment areas is effective and improves outcomes. Further research should determine the optimal design for rounding considering the mixed shifts in EDs, seek ways to increase communicating delays to patients, and investigate how to integrate rounding with physician activities.