Feedback from Nurses and Allied Health
Find out from nurses and Allied Health about family-centered rounds that they have participated in at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center:
Feedback from Jenny Pansing, Registered Nurse III at Cincinnati Children's
"I have seen the positives that have occurred for our patients and families since the inception of family-centered rounds.
"Families have better information shared with them about the diagnosis and treatment options for their child. They gain a feeling of being empowered and more confidence in their ability to continue on with care once home. No longer are families waiting for the "mysterious blessing' of the doctor about when their child is ready for discharge:
- They know why today is better than yesterday, and why it is not necessary to stay "another day or so"
- They help evaluate their child's progress toward defined, articulated discharge goals
- They don't feel "pushed out because they need the bed," since they have been a part of the process all along
- They have heard, on more than one occasion, that their child may not be "100% back to normal," but that they as the family will be able to manage symptoms at home
"That helps increase their confidence that they will be able to care for their own child. We don't try to take that away from them--we build it up.
"As a nurse, I appreciate being an integral member of the decision team. I know what needs to be emphasized to families and patients, and how to time the care and education I offer, based on family understanding and the child's progress. I can reinforce information shared by the physicians, because I was present, and can then clear up any misunderstandings on the family's part before misinformation confuses them or causes other issues.
"Family-centered rounds save time for all of us because:
- Principal players are together in one space, discussing needs and concerns
- Decisions are made
- "Marathon paging and returning of phone call sessions" are not needed, because we all make the decisions together
- Orders are written in a timely fashion, not hours later
- We are all in the loop
"Another time saver of family-centered rounds is that discharges are timelier. Gone is the day when all discharges had to wait "until after rounds tomorrow morning." On call staff knows the plan, and if discharge criteria are met, they are comfortable discharging pts that they are cross-covering.
"Families who don't have their team round see how it works for others---and they are starting to ask why their team doesn't come by and talk to them. They see it as a need---and so do I.
Feedback from Monica Holder, Patient Care Facilitator at Cincinnati Children's
If time is spent in the morning to answer and questions for the families, it decreases the time spent tracking down a doctor to get those questions answered, and this decreases the number of pages to the physicians.
It gives the nurse a perfect opportunity to hear the complete history and physical and plan of care for their patient, which decreases any confusion and increases prompt and effective care, therefore increasing family satisfaction.
Family-centered rounds are a perfect chance for the nurse to advocate for the patient / family when they are not comfortable asking certain questions or voicing concerns, or the nurse can obtain answers for the parent who could not be present but need certain answers when they call or come back.
