RNJ Trending Topics: March/April 2024

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive the March/April issue in the mail. Check out a preview of the articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

Trio rounding: Perceptions of acute inpatient rehabilitation nurses and physicians 

Trio rounding is a patient-centered rounding that occurred in the acute rehabilitation setting and involved the patient/family, the nurse and the physician. Picker's eight principles of patient-centered care was the framework that supported the study. This study looked at the perceptions of the nurse and physician about the benefits and challenges of this rounding. Focus groups with nurses and physicians on each of the three acute rehab units were the data used to identify these perceptions. Although there were challenges in implementing trio rounding, the benefits far outweighed the concerns.

Mannaye, T., Mowery, B., Friesen, M.A., Jones, E. (2024). Trio rounding: Perceptions of acute inpatient rehabilitation nurses and physicians. Rehabilitation Nursing, 49(2), 57-64.

The effect of teach-back on readmission rates in rehabilitation patients 

Readmission rates are an issue in every healthcare facility. One of the reasons for readmissions in rehab facilities may be the patient and family do not understand their discharge plan and because of that cannot implement it. One rehab facility examined the teach-back intervention and its effect on readmission rates. The implementation group used the teach-back method and the comparative group did not. There was a 45% decrease in 30-day readmission rates in the implementation group compared with the comparative group.

Bidlespacher, K., & Mulkey, D.C. (2024). The effect of teach-back on readmission rates in rehabilitation patients. Rehabilitation Nursing, 49(2), 65-71. 

Write About Your Experience 

Interested in submitting an article to RNJ? We are always looking for more submissions, including evidence-based practice papers, professional issues, and clinical consultation papers. Additionally, the RNJ editorial board is opening submissions to hear more about your personal experiences and stories as a rehabilitation nurse. If you are interested in submitting a manuscript but don't know where to begin, the RNJ editorial staff is happy to walk you through the process.