Ward rounds - best practice guidelines

Ward rounds in medicine: principles for best practice has just been published by the Royal College of Physicians with the Royal College of Nursing.  It sets out core recommendations and principles for best practice for conducting medical ward rounds, including their structure, preparation and scheduling, as well as patient participation and protection, nursing involvement, the use of safety checklists and discharge planning. 

It calls for the multidisciplinary team – doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and allied health professionals – to be given dedicated time to participate, with clarity about individual roles and responsibilities during and after ward rounds.