Modern hospitals are able to choose from a number of readily available alarm technologies designed to help nurses monitor fall risk patients. However, in the course of selecting an appropriate monitoring technology, decision-makers should be careful not to overlook the importance of an alarm system’s ability to function optimally in each of the different room configurations found in their facility.
Among the patient room variables to consider when evaluating the potential use of falls monitoring alarms are the layouts and dimensions of the rooms, the placement of medical equipment and furniture within the rooms, the location of electrical outlets and nurse call ports, and the proximity of the rooms to the nurses’ station and to each other. Failure to properly account for these common variations in room design can present ongoing challenges to the safe, efficient monitoring of fall risk patients.
After evaluating technology options, many hospitals decide to incorporate wireless falls monitoring alarms, often called wireless falls prevention alarms, into their fall prevention programs. Since wireless alarms do not require any cords or cables, they offer greater flexibility than wired alarms. The versatile mounting and placement capabilities afforded by state-of-the-art wireless alarm systems, for example, provide nurses with essential device visibility and accessibility in a wide range of patient room settings.
Every hospital has patient rooms with different configurations/layouts. Room design can vary between facilities in the same healthcare network, between units in the same facility (e.g., med-surg, ICU), and within individual units. It is worth noting that a hospital may also have more than one nurse call system.
Factors accounting for these variations often include the intended functions of the rooms, whether the rooms are utilized for single or shared occupancy, and the eras in which different parts of the facility were originally constructed or last modified.
Variables such as those mentioned underscore the value of selecting a flexible technology solution for monitoring fall risk patients. Next, we will take a look at how wireless falls prevention alarms can offer hospitals and nurses this much-needed flexibility.
Today’s increasing workloads are putting heavier demands on nurses. Hospital leadership must continually look for ways to reduce this pressure and still keep patients safe.
Technologically sophisticated yet easy-to-use wireless alarms can support better workflow flexibility by helping nurses confidently monitor their fall risk patients while performing other duties. Wireless falls prevention alarms (i.e., wireless fall monitors) can be mounted anywhere in the patient room; they do not have to be tethered to the nurse call outlet at the head of the bed. Wireless alarms can also be mounted outside the door, giving nurses the ability to silence the device as they enter the room to render assistance or allowing them to simply confirm the device’s active monitoring status without disturbing the patient.
Wireless falls prevention alarms are available for use with wireless falls prevention sensors designed to help nurses monitor fall risk patients who may attempt an unassisted chair or toilet exit. Each fall risk patient being monitored requires an individual wireless alarm paired with either a wireless chair or toilet sensor. To further optimize staff efficiency, a wireless alarm can be paired with a wireless nurse call adapter to enable notification of the hospital’s nurse call system when the alarm is triggered.
Wireless chair sensor pads let nurses place the patient’s chair anywhere in the room, regardless of room configuration, without introducing new tripping hazards (i.e., cords) into the healthcare environment. Meanwhile, wireless toilet sensors also allow nurses to avoid the hassle of dealing with cords and are easy to place on the front of the toilet bowl.
Intended as a complement for safety practices such as regular nurse rounding and assisted toileting protocols, wireless falls prevention alarms and wireless falls prevention sensors can help hospitals protect patients while strengthening efficient and flexible nursing workflow.
It was with this objective in mind that Posey®, a TIDI Products brand, created a user-friendly technology ecosystem consisting of the wireless Posey On Cue® PRO Alarm, the Posey Wireless Chair Sensor Pad, the Posey Wireless Toilet Sensor, and the Posey Wireless Nurse Call Adapter.
Every day, Posey works closely with healthcare networks and hospitals around the country, meticulously assessing the technical requirements associated with their different room configurations and learning about their staff workflow preferences so we can customize falls monitoring solutions that fit their unique needs.
Contact us and explore the possibilities!