Using a checklist within simulation improves trainees' confidence on ward rounds

Abstract

Ward rounds are integral to maintaining patient safety in everyday clinical care. Junior doctors are often expected to conduct independent rounds on graduation, but many feel ill-equipped to do so. We developed a safety checklist and simulation sessions to improve junior-led ward round practice at one district general hospital. We found that embedding a checklist within simulation is an effective way to teach ward round skills and increase confidence among undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainees.

Keywords: checklist; simulation; training; ward round.

Fig 1.

Medical ward round checklist for use at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. The checklist was specifically designed to be eye-catching and easy to follow, including all the core aspects required for a comprehensive ward round assessment in a logical order. The content and design were reviewed and refined by three junior doctors of varying grades and one consultant physician until consensus was achieved.