Authors: (including presenting author): :
Wong KW(1), Yuen SY(1), Pun KL(1), Chik PFS(1)
Affiliation: :
(1)Nursing Services Division, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Patient Safety
Introduction: :
The Patient Safety Round is a structured approach designed to identify patient safety risks and enhance nursing care. The Nursing Services Division at Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (TWEH) has adapted a hospital-wide strategy that covers all patient-related areas under the care of nurses in the hospital. This initiative is overseen by senior nursing management to standardize the requirement in all clinical settings, align with current clinical operations and updated nursing standards, and address the needs of evolving healthcare practices.
Objectives: :
- Identify key topics and establish a two-year schedule for effective guidance.
- Enhance flexibility in addressing hospital-wide issues through a topic-based approach.
- Integrates with other safety rounds to reduce demands on frontline while maintaining care quality and safety.
Methodology: :
According to high-risk, high-volume assessment and risk registry of TWEH, key topics were identified. The existing mechanism was reviewed, revealing limitations and areas for improvement. Checklists from functional committees were referenced to ensure comprehensive topic coverage. Rounds and audit plans from various committees were summarized to eliminate duplication and enhance efficiency. Feedback from frontline managers and nurses helped finalize topics and assess feasibility. A two-year plan was developed, with each round focusing on infection control, safety and quality issues, nursing standards, and relevant hot topics. This ensures no overlap with others while maintaining the flexibility to address recent public concerns. Each round involved three members and lasted 5 to 10 minutes at each location to minimize operational disruption.
Result & Outcome: :
Since the implementation in April 2024, 34 topics were reviewed in 10 rounds, addressing important patient safety issues, with identified good compliance and areas for improvement. Follow-up actions were carried out appropriately. Reports were uploaded to the intranet for staff reference, and learning points were shared in various nursing meetings. Frontline staff and team members provided positive feedback, noting that the rounds were more streamlined and focused, improving compliance with monitoring protocols while minimizing time spent and disruptions in each place. Standardization across all clinical settings, sharing of good practices, and the growth process of team members occurred as they learned from other settings.
The implementation of systematic and topic-focused safety rounds in healthcare settings offers valuable insights and a model for advancing patient safety.
