Why rounding as a team works

By Laura Mize

Christine Gates, R.N., charge nurse of Unit 75, Vivien Gayo, R.N., and Khalid Abusada, M.D., (from left) discuss patients during multidisciplinary rounding on Jan. 5 at Shands at UF./Photo by Maria Belen Farias

Under the guidance of Robert Leverence, M.D., chief of the division of hospital medicine, the medical units of Shands at UF are adopting the practice of multidisciplinary rounding. Physicians and bedside nurses in these units meet regularly to discuss the care of those patients who require the most attention.

“Best patient care occurs when teams of health care providers and staff work closely together so that they can operate smoothly and efficiently and in the best manner for the patient,” said Leverence, who also is the vice chair for clinical affairs in the College of Medicine department of medicine.

He initiated the practice in some medical inpatient units in June 2011 and is still expanding it to others. He noted that although prior efforts at multidisciplinary rounding have not been successful in some of these units, overcoming logistical challenges in our complex system has been key to establishing it in the medical units now.

“Keeping a broad definition of multidisciplinary rounding and including only certain patients make the practice possible,” Leverence said.

Preliminary data shows the units are more frequently abiding by best practices for treatment of certain conditions than they were before the new rounding routine started, Leverence said. He attributes the improvement to multidisciplinary rounding.