Effective nurse leader rounding improves the patient experience.

H ealthcare organizations have been challenged to create and sustain an exceptional care experience that promotes patient engagement and optimal outcomes. Patient experience has become a critical differentiator, and it will only grow in importance as transparency and consumerism dominate the healthcare landscape. This is far more than just an attempt to “satisfy.” Building relationships and communicating well with our patients and families are vital approaches.1 In today’s complex healthcare environment, patients may not fully understand or remember the highly clinical nature of treatment. However, they always remember how we made them feel, how we communicated with them as a team, and what interactions they experienced while in our care.2 Although the literature shows that nurse leader rounds correlate with increased patient satisfaction and associated financial incentives, specific rounding practices aren’t differentiated and there are no evidence-based studies reflective of the number of rounds necessary to generate a change in overall patient satisfaction.3,4 With ever-changing national benchmarks and competing demands on unit leadership, more strategies are needed to determine the quantity of time and resources required for nurse leader rounding to truly enhance patient satisfaction.2 This quality improvement (QI) project explored the relationship between the percentage of patients on the unit who were rounded on by a nurse leader and the results of a discharge survey reflective of patient satisfaction