A Quiet Healing Environment Created by Nurse Call?

CHICAGO, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist West Hospital (MWH), of West Des Moines, IA, was one of the first hospitals who deployed Rauland's new Responder 5 Nurse Call communication system in all their patient rooms, Operating Room (OR) suites, Emergency Department (ED) treatment rooms, as well as the Maternity Center. By implementing Responder 5 in combination with Ascom wireless phones, MWH created a quiet, healing environment that streamlined workflows which allowed staff to spend less time on work processes and more time with patients.

Improved efficiency, better patient care
"The goal for Methodist West was to have this calm healing environment, and in order to do that you needed to stop some of the noise, change how we delivered care and make it more efficient. With the Responder 5, we are doing just that."
Roxanne Menke; Nurse Informatics

MWH worked with Rauland-Borg to refine the new Responder 5 technology based on staff input, enabling each department to customize the touch screen Staff Terminal to meet its specific needs. The effectual results speak for themselves:

• Less noise. Text messaging and direct calls via wireless phones virtually eliminate overhead paging and noise. Patient satisfaction with noise level in and around rooms placed MWH in the 99th percentile of all hospitals participating in Press Ganey Inpatient survey for 2010.
• Employee satisfaction with team communication is higher than at sister hospitals.
• Streamlined workflows. MWH averaged fewer steps than at the three sister hospitals.

Take a closer look at how the Responder 5 is utilized at MWH – and what staff members appreciate about the benefits and capabilities of the system.

Inpatient Improvements

MWH staff use customized Responder 5 Staff Terminals in every patient room to boost communication with one another across the hospital. Unique call processes were designed to simplify daily events, needs and speed up procedures. The results were streamlined workflows, mobility for staff, increased time for hands-on patient care and a quiet healing environment.

"Since we started using Responder5, the quiet environment is what patients notice and comment on most. The technology works with our wireless phones to facilitate quiet communication that also saves staff time and allows them to spend more time with their patients."
Chris Blair, RN, MHA; Administrator

• Improved nurse-physician communication and enhanced patient care - by simply having the physicians push the Physician Rounding button in the patient' room to alert the RN, pharmacist and patient care facilitator so they can do patient rounds together.
• With one touch Routine or STAT orders are processed quickly – with the differentiation indicators to help unit clerks prioritize orders according to urgency.

"The order buttons are one of my favorite aspects of the Responder 5. Where I used to work, I was checking charts frequently to see if any new orders had been written. At Methodist West, I can spend more time with my patients because I automatically get order alerts on my phone."
Karissa Stadlander, RN

Operating Rooms

Quiet environment reduces distractions and stress levels. The OR staff at MWH use the Responder 5 instead of a traditional overhead intercom system. The peaceful environment contributes to patient safety and staff satisfaction by minimizing distractions. Patients are not disturbed by overhead paging and related noise that could intensify their stress level pre or post-surgery.

For example, the push of a button notifies the appropriate team when a new patient arrives in an OR, when the case is closing and when a patient is being moved from the OR to PACU.

The department customized a variety of buttons to suit its processes, including AA Stat, Code Blue, Prep, Lift Patient, or Turnover. This streamlined communication allows the charge nurse to allocate appropriate staff and other resources without having to round repeatedly between PACU, OR, Pre-op and CSP.

Maternity Center Efficiencies

Staff Terminals used in the Maternity Center delivers greater efficiency for RNs, Managers, Unit Clerks Techs and Environmental Services. A touch of the right button makes communication fast and easy, from calling for an extra pair of hands, to confirming a patient received a meal.  Important processes like Code PINK – notifies the appropriate responders for a neonatal resuscitation. Patients are able to use the nurse call to contact their caregiver directly to ask for specific help or supplies, enabling staff to get materials more quickly and efficiently.

"In the past I had to take time to search for personnel when I needed help. With the Responder 5 system, I can communicate directly with my coworkers on their wireless phones. I really like the patients being able to call their nurses or techs directly. It's a much more efficient way to provide care."
Wanda Loebe, RN; Staff Nurse and Team Leader Maternity Ward

Given the success of Responder 5 at MWH, Iowa Health – Des Moines are planning to implement this technology at their three other hospitals in 2011.

About Methodist West Hospital

Methodist West Hospital, of Des Moines, IA is a state-of-the-art facility in the Iowa Health-Des Moines family of four hospitals serving central Iowa. With over 85 licensed beds, Methodist West offers orthopedic, cardiovascular and pulmonary services, emergency department, maternity services and surgery.

About Rauland-Borg

Rauland-Borg Corporation has been a pioneer in the development of Nurse Call solutions. Our Responder 5 system provides hospitals superior patient-to-staff communication capabilities through integration with complimentary solutions and technologies – to enhance overall patient care. For more information on Responder Nurse Call, visit www.rauland.com.

CONTACT:  Rauland-Borg Corporation, 1-800-752-7725

SOURCE Rauland-Borg Corporation