Why you should read this article:

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To understand the concept and aims of Schwartz rounds

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To learn how to organise, prepare for and facilitate a Schwartz round

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To increase your knowledge of the benefits of Schwartz rounds for healthcare professionals and students

Rationale and key points

Schwartz rounds are a group-based model of reflective practice originally designed to assist medical staff to develop more compassion in their care. The aim of Schwartz rounds is to help healthcare professionals such as nurses ‘reconnect’ with why they first entered the caring profession.

• Schwartz rounds are designed to assist multidisciplinary healthcare professionals with the emotional, social and ethical aspects of caregiving.

• Schwartz rounds can also be used to support resilience training and boost workforce morale.

• The use of Schwartz rounds can assist nurses to understand the moral challenges they may encounter while caring for patients.

Reflective activity

‘How to’ articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of:

• How this article might help you organise Schwartz rounds in your clinical area.

• How you could use this information to educate your colleagues about Schwartz rounds.