Document Type
DNP Project
Publication Date
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Faculty Advisor
Susan Penque, Ph.D., ANP-BC, NE-BC, NC-C
Practice Mentor
Jennifer O’Neil MSN, RN, CCRN
Abstract
Background/Introduction: Communication and collaboration between healthcare providers and nurses are essential for a good working relationship. Increased collaboration has been shown to improve staff attitudes and job satisfaction. Using a checklist provides an organized way to perform rounds and increase satisfaction with teamwork as well as decrease miscommunication. At this DNP project site, a rounding checklist is not being used, resulting in a disconnect between the nurses and healthcare providers.
Objective/Purpose: Project goals include:
- Assess nurses' and providers’ thoughts and feelings on current collaboration and rounding done. Assess what nurses and providers find as barriers for using a rounding checklist and what needs to be improved on the current checklist.
- Improve and implement rounding checklist daily in nurse/provider rounds from September to December 2024.
- See a measurable increase of 2 points of the Likert scale from baseline in both nurses’ and healthcare providers’ satisfaction and views on collaboration and communication with use of the rounding checklist.
Methods: The guiding framework for this project’s implementation and evaluation is the Model for Healthcare Improvement. A total of two, plan, do study, act (PDSA) cycles were completed. A pre-survey was provided to assess nurses’ and healthcare providers’ feelings on their collaboration without the rounding checklist. Education was then provided on the use of the rounding checklist, and it was implemented into practice for daily use. Weekly to biweekly audits of the use of the checklist were performed throughout the project. The same survey was handed out midway and post implementation to assess the changes in nurses ‘and healthcare providers’ feelings on the collaboration with use of the rounding checklist.
Results: This project took place for a total of 8 weeks, from October 22, 2024 to December 16, 2024. A total of 86 surveys were completed, 34 by healthcare providers and 52 by RNs. A total of 387 rounding checklists were completed throughout this project. The results showed an increase in the feeling of collaboration by both nurses and healthcare providers in all areas except one. The one area that did not increase the feelings of collaboration was how often the nurses and healthcare providers felt they had to follow up after rounding with the checklist occurred. RNs felt the healthcare providers who rounded with them using the checklist valued their opinions and working relationships.
Conclusion: The results of this project show that a rounding checklist improves the feelings on collaboration between nurses and healthcare providers. All objectives were met during implementation and the manager of this project site plans to continue auditing the use of rounding checklists daily.
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Recommended Citation
Ursone, D. (2025). Provider-nurse rounding checklist: A quality improvement project [Unpublished DNP project]. Sacred Heart University.
Comments
A DNP project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice, Sacred Heart University Davis & Henley College of Nursing.