SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Improving Physician-Nurse Communication Through Nurse-Facilitated Invitations for Bedside Co-Rounding

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This project aimed to improve physician-nurse communication at UCSF by increasing bedside co-rounding, especially for patients with behavioral concerns. The team identified common barriers to co-rounding through interviews with hospitalists and bedside nurses, including poor geographic localization, lack of time, differing communication preferences, weak rapport, scheduling issues, and a general preference not to round.<br /><br />Using root-cause analysis and a “5 Whys” approach, the team focused on patients with behavioral concerns as the group most likely to benefit from improved interdisciplinary communication. Their goal was to raise co-rounding rates from 22.9% to 34.4% between April and August 2024.<br /><br />The intervention centered on nurse-facilitated invitations for physicians to co-round on these patients. Nurses were educated through unit meetings, Monday hospitalist meetings, and flyers posted in work areas. A scripting tool was also created to help nurses send Voalte messages to physicians and request approximate rounding times. Nurses identified eligible patients before rounds and contacted physicians directly. Nurses were also surveyed regularly to assess invitation frequency and co-rounding rates.<br /><br />Results showed improvement: co-rounding increased from 22.9% pre-intervention to 29.4% post-intervention, representing a 1.3-fold increase. Although the target was not fully reached, the intervention successfully reached the intended audience and showed a positive trend. Education efforts through flyers and meetings appeared to be especially effective.<br /><br />Overall, the project demonstrated that increasing bedside co-rounding is feasible when built into workflow and supported by targeted education. Future plans include expanding the intervention to other patient groups, units, and UCSF locations, while continuing to address systemic barriers such as geographic localization.

Asset Subtitle

Elaine Kim

Meta Tag

Author List Anuroop Nirula, Debbie Adam, Elaine Kim, Melissa Bu, Michael A. Torres Espinosa, Omar Singleton, Shubhra Gupta

Category Innovations

Concept Physician-Nursing Communication

Concept Bedside Co-rounding

Concept Care Coordination

Concept Nurse-Facilitated Invitation

Concept Patient Outcomes

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine

Presenting Author Elaine Kim

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

physician-nurse communication

bedside co-rounding

behavioral concerns

interdisciplinary communication

UCSF

hospitalists

bedside nurses

root-cause analysis

nurse-facilitated invitations

workflow improvement

Physician-Nursing Communication

Bedside Co-rounding

Care Coordination

Nurse-Facilitated Invitation

Patient Outcomes