Rounding has become an important aspect of patient care. It gives the health care team an opportunity to get together and discuss the needs of the patient in front of the patient. More importantly it gives the patient a feeling that “experts” are taking care of them. The patients in our facility have responded well to this team approach to health care. When I round with the nursing staff I hear about the patients pain, their medications, their potential discharge date and if they have the support they need at home. Here is a great opportunity for us to discuss the vascular access device and if it is still appropriate or should we change it? It is still common for some physicians to keep lines in that are not in use. We need to be removing all nonessential lines. Complications like phlebitis, tip malposition and infection are greater in lines not being used, especially in the home.
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