Ward rounds are an established, but sometimes fragmented, core activity of inpatient care during which decisions are made and tasks allocated that aid the daily running of wards. They require a well-organised multidisciplinary team to take part in the rounds, and nurses play an essential role in their smooth running. In 2012 the first integrated guidelines for ward rounds were published, giving best-practice recommendations (Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Nursing, 2012).

A ward round is an essential organisational process providing a link between patients’ admission to hospital and their discharge or transfer elsewhere. In the absence of ward rounds there would be inertia in the patient flow, particularly for unplanned (emergency) activity for which the preplanning of care is not always possible (RCP, 2012a).

The emphasis on rounds and frequency within individual wards will vary according to patient acuity and the volume of admissions, discharge and transfers received by the area. Ward rounds provide a huge opportunity for interprofessional learning and informal continuing professional development not only for junior doctors in training but also for the whole multidisciplinary team.