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Nursing vocabulary · Ward Routines and Handover

Ward round

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈwɔːrd raʊnd/nounCore term

In nursing, ward round means: A regular visit by doctors, often with nurses and other staff, to each patient on a ward to review their progress and decide on the plan for the day.

In Turkish: vizit

How it is used

Nurses join or 'go on' the ward round to share updates and hear new plans: 'the consultant's ward round', 'the morning ward round'. In US hospitals people say 'rounds' or 'rounding': 'The team is rounding.' Many nurses keep a list of questions ready for the round.

Example sentences

  1. Can you mention his swollen leg on the ward round?

  2. The ward round finished late, so the discharges were delayed.

Common collocations

  • on the ward round
  • consultant ward round
  • join the ward round
  • morning ward round
  • wardA section of a hospital with beds where patients with similar needs stay and are cared for by a team of nurses.
  • dischargeThe point at which a patient officially leaves hospital to go home or to another place of care, and the planning that leads up to it.
  • charge nurseThe nurse who leads a ward or unit during a shift: organising staff, allocating patients and dealing with problems and emergencies.
  • handoverThe passing of information and responsibility for patients from one nurse or team to the next, usually at the change of shift.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Ward Routines and Handover

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