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Medicine vocabulary · Hospital Departments and Staff

Ward round

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈwɔːrd raʊnd/nounCommon term

In medicine, ward round means: A regular visit by a team of doctors, often led by a senior doctor, to see each patient on a ward, review progress and make a plan for the day.

In Turkish: vizit, servis viziti

How it is used

A UK term; in the US people say 'rounds' or 'rounding'. Junior doctors present patients on the ward round and write the ward round entry in the notes. Teaching and questions for students often happen here.

Example sentences

  1. The consultant ward round starts at 8:30, so have the bloods ready.

  2. We discussed her discharge on the ward round this morning.

Common collocations

  • consultant ward round
  • on the ward round
  • post-take ward round
  • ward round notes
  • wardA part of a hospital with beds where patients stay overnight or longer, usually for one specialty, such as a surgical or children's ward.
  • consultantIn the UK and some other countries, a senior hospital doctor who has finished specialist training and has final responsibility for a team's patients.
  • handoverThe passing of information and responsibility for patients from one doctor or team to the next, usually when a shift changes.
  • residentIn the US and Canada, a doctor who has finished medical school and is doing several years of supervised training in a specialty in a hospital.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Hospital Departments and Staff

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.