ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of head nurses′tutoring and commenting on nursing ward round. Methods The nursing ward rounds performed during August 2013 to July 2014 were assigned as the control group and those nursing ward rounds during August 2014 to August 2015 as observation group: in the former group routine nursing ward rounds were done once a week and in the latter the rounds were performed by head nurses′tutoring and commenting once every week. The two groups were compared in terms of examination performances of nursing ward rounds, doctors′ and nurses′ satisfaction degree, nurses′ and student nurses′evaluation on the ward rounds and their critical thinking ability. Results The examination performances and the satisfaction degree in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). The nurses in the observation group thought the head nurse′s commenting at ward rounds could be more effective than those from the control group in their improvement of theoretical knowledge and clinical ability (P<0.05). In terms of critical thinking by California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version), the total score and the scores on its dimensions in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion The nursing ward rounds by head nurses′tutoring and commenting can help the nurses to strengthen their ability in nursing ward rounds and improve their theory and clinical practice so that the nursing quality is improved.