Barriers to Implementation of Nursing Rounds among Nurses Working in Public Hospitals in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Nursing rounds are scheduled patient visits conducted by hospital nurses to assess patients' needs, com­fort, and safety, enhancing their well-being. Understanding the barriers affecting the implementation is vital for im­proving patient care, nurse satisfaction, and overall healthcare quality, yet information is scarce regarding this practice. Therefore, this study explores barriers to implementing nursing rounds among nurses at public hospitals in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted among six nursing staff, two head nurses, and two nurse directors working in two public hospitals in Harar from July 1 to 30, 2023. In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected respondents using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were tape-recorded. Each transcript was thoroughly read and re-read before being exported to Archive for Technology, Lifetime of Attention & Social Sciences version 7 (ATLAS.ti.7) software for coding. Verbatim transcriptions were complemented with field notes and initial codes were generated. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted in alignment with the primary research question.

Results: This study identified the barriers to implementing nursing rounds and categorized them into organizational, behavioral, and technical themes. Organizational barriers encompass a lack of human and material resources, work­loads and time constraints, lack of administrative support, and strict protocols. Behavioral barriers involve a lack of commitment, lack of knowledge, language barriers, and a perception that nursing rounds are ineffective. Technical barriers include the absence of guidelines and lack of training.

Conclusion: This study found multilevel barriers hindering the implementation of nursing rounds. These barriers included organizational, behavioral, and technical. Increasing staffing levels, ensuring sufficient resources, improving administrative support, providing training programs on nursing rounds, and establishing and enforcing protocols and monitoring systems can enhance the implementation of nursing rounds.