WARD MANAGEMENT:

A hospital ward can be defined as a suite of rooms or a block, forming a division of hospitals,
which is shared by patients who need similar kind of care.

Objectives of ward management:

 To provide best quality nursing care to the patients.
 To ensure provision of sanitised, clean, and properly ventilated surroundings
 For the patient and their protection from infections, accidents, and potential hazards.
 To Help staff attain job satisfaction
 To provide facilities to patients and their attendants.

Components of Ward Management

1. Patient care
2. Personnel Management
3. Supply & Equipment
4. Environment Cleanliness

1. Patient care:
This includes all the activities, which are necessary for providing nursing care. The main
principles of patient care revolve around providing comfort to the patient and maintain
patient’s health. The patient care revolves around the following aspects:
 Admission and orientation of the patient
 Assessment of patient’s needs and care
 Progressive patient care
 Assigning personnel to care for the patient
 Plan the time and work schedules
 Ward Rounds
 Records and reports
 Management of emergencies
 Client/patient education
 Appraisal of nursing staff

2. Personnel management
Everything that concerns staff is included in personnel management. It involves:
 Orientation of the new personnel or staff
 Supervising the personnel and delegating authority to them
 Establishing inter-personal relationship
 Evaluating the staff/personnel
 Staff conferences
 Conducting staff development programme
 Ensuring health, safety, and welfare of the personnel
 Personnel Management in a ward includes assignment of personnel for patient care. It
also includes ward rounds. The ward sister is responsible for taking ward rounds. It is a
tool of supervision, evaluation, and teaching. The different types of ward rounds
include:

a. Doctor’s Round: For doctor’s round, the following preparation is required:

 Clean and tidy ward
 Ensure the ward is not overcrowded with patient’s attendants
 Update patient’s chart and include relevant information about the patient
 Prepare diagnostic tray for use
 Rounds should not be conducted during lunch timings or visiting hours

b. Matron’s Round: A matron is considered as an adviser. Her work is to guide the nurses
and ensure that they visit the patients regularly.

c. Ward Sister: A ward sister is required to take ward rounds with staff nurses. Her work is
to observe critically ill patients and the ones who require special attention. She is also
required to note the available stocks and equipment.

3. Environment cleanliness
This includes sanitation and provision of therapeutic environment. It is the patient’s right to
have access to a safe and sound environment, which should be provided by the hospital
administration and staff. A safe environment includes:
 Regulated temperature
 Light
 Removal of unpleasant odour
 Controlling dust
 Safely disposing off excreta
 Ensuring safe water supply

4. Supply and equipment

Management of supplies include checking the condition of equipment, managing shortages,
checking the supplies for effectiveness, and ensuring the safety of expiry date as well as safe
handling of the supplies. Basically, all the decisions relating to the supplies and services
comes under the domain of supply management. The various actions to be taken for ward
management should be at par with the supply. Supply implies services of the personnel or
staff as well as the services in terms of equipment, medicines, and other fringe commodities
which might be useful for patient care, either directly or indirectly. This demands various
actions to be taken, which are demonstrated in the