Combatting Holiday Nurse Shortages with Technology
As the holiday season approaches, emergency rooms are preparing for an anticipated increase in patient admissions. Respiratory illnesses are on the rise during the winter months and can be passed quickly during holiday celebrations. Those with dietary or other medical restrictions may feel the urge to defy their doctor’s orders with celebratory indulgences; increased alcohol consumption can lead to a spike in accidents; and fall risk can be exacerbated due to slippery road conditions or even climbing a ladder to decorate the Christmas tree.
With staff shortages already an issue for many healthcare facilities, the increase in nurse call-offs by up to 30% during the winter holiday period further exacerbates this lack of resources, negatively impacting both staff and patients during the most “wonderful time of year.” Additionally, too many new tech systems without interoperability can end up causing even more stress for the already tightly-stretched healthcare workers. Constantly learning new systems, responding to an ever-increasing number of technology notifications, and having to log data in multiple devices takes more time away from necessary medical interventions.
In order to respond to these challenges, healthcare facilities can leverage modern technology to streamline efficiency for better patient outcomes and staff well-being. An effective nurse call system with EMR integration and real-time location tracking can automate information sharing among all members of the care team 24/7, allowing staff to spend more time providing critical patient care.
Rauland Responder Enterprise nurse call system does just that. Designed to integrate with new technologies, Enterprise provides a number of tools for improved workflows and communication, including mobile integration. The interoperability of Responder Enterprise ensures seamless integration of devices across the healthcare ecosystem including smart beds, surveillance cameras, RTLS, mobile devices, overhead paging, EHR and virtual nursing.
As part of the Enterprise system, Responder Converge is a new approach that brings a digital control center into the patient room to manage care and oversee staff and patient activities across the entire floor or facility. This allows multiple functions to be performed simultaneously from one location, ensures the entire care team can access real-time patient information from any patient room across the unit, and integrates with real-time location tracking for both patients and staff for a streamlined response.
Rauland Responder All Touch for EMR takes the Responder 5 nurse call one step further, integrating with any EMR system for automated documentation and two-way communication. Expedited charting and timely documentation automates seamless compliance and record-keeping of patient care, and automatic recording of completion and status of patient care tasks drastically reduces errors and duplicated efforts. EMR documentation communicated directly via the Responder system reflects real-time patient status in customizable corridor light colors and swoop in census, providing constantly updated patient information to the entire patient care team 24/7.
Choosing Rauland Responder Enterprise for your healthcare facility will ensure the holiday stress remains as low as possible, leading to happier, more capable staff and overall better patient outcomes. For more information on integrating Responder Enterprise into your healthcare facility, visit our dedicated Healthcare page or contact our Healthcare team today.
Sources:
https://www.emergencyhospitals.care/why-emergency-rooms-are-more-crowded-during-the-holidays/
https://www.aru.ac.uk/news/why-christmas-is-such-a-busy-time-in-hospital-a-and-e
https://www.nurseregistry.com/blog/nurse-call-offs-during-the-holiday-season/
https://www.communication-co.com/news/rauland-responder-all-touch-for-emr
