The continuous situational awareness of the nursing staff is essential for patient safety, especially in the ICU and Cardiac Care Unit, where changes in the patient’s condition can be rapid and dramatic. In Vaasa Central Hospital, situational awareness is enhanced by increasing the focus on smart technology.
According to Anna Cederholm, head nurse of the ICU and Cardiac Care Unit at Vaasa Central Hospital, the new technology significantly improves both patient safety and well-being of the nursing staff.
- However, this requires that the technology serves the actual needs of its users and performs as planned. If the technology is lagging, it can even become a strain on staff," says Cederholm.
Cederholm would like to thank Ascom for the Ascom Clinical Consultation concept, which involves the care staff to the design of technology solutions.
"When the needs and wishes of the care staff are listened to at the planning stage, the result is usually successful. Participating in the planning also helps to understand how the new technology aims to make the care work easier. This in turn motivates to learn to use new systems and promotes their adoption."
Health technology facilitates new practices in nursing care
The ICU of Vaasa Central Hospital is using a comprehensive Ascom solution comprised of the intelligent nurse call and communication platform, the modular medical device solution, and the alert assignment system. All systems are accessible through a single device, the Myco smartphone.
“Data from medical devices in patient rooms is delivered to the nurse’s Myco phone. The phone provides a miniature display that allows the nurse to check, for example, a patient’s heart monitor. Medical device data is simultaneously transmitted to the central displays of the ICU as well,” explains Cederholm.
The nurses’ phones clearly display the reason for the alert, helping them to gauge the appropriate manner and urgency with which to respond. The alert assignment system means that each alert only goes to the patient’s caregiver team, which reduces stress and unnecessary interruptions.
“To further reduce the noise level, the alert is silent if the nurse is already with the patient,” adds Cederholm.
Upon receiving a nurse call alert, the nurse may choose to speak with the patient over the phone. According to Cederholm, this saves time and walking away from their work as the matter may not require the nurse to go to the patient room immediately or, based on the conversation, the nurse will know what equipment or medicines to bring to the room.
Cederholm appreciates, in particular, Ascom’s personal safety solution with an accurate positioning feature. By just pressing the safety button on the Myco phone, a nurse can quickly and discreetly alert for help in a threatening situation.
“The positioning feature is important in terms of our staff safety. Our patient rooms are situated on a 60-meter-long corridor, so it is vital to locate the person who pressed the panic button without delay.”
In her work, the head nurse often says that she is thinking of new technological applications or expanding existing solutions.
"I guess I am a woman who likes comfort, as I think that technology should be used whenever possible," Cederholm laughs.
The cooperation with Ascom has been fruitful for Cederholm, who has been actively involved in the development of new solutions.
"It feels like Ascom is a company that is ready to listen to our wishes and develop new solutions by listening to the care staff."