Everything You Need to Know About Wireless Nurse Call Systems

In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, efficient communication between patients and healthcare providers is paramount. Wireless nurse call systems have emerged as integral tools in facilitating this communication, significantly enhancing patient care and operational efficiency within healthcare facilities.

What are nurse call systems?

This is a platform through which patients communicate with nurses when they need help. The first nurse call system was invented in the 1850s by Florence Nightingale. This first system consisted of handbells that were placed on the bedsides for patients to ring when they needed assistance.

Over time, these systems have evolved into sophisticated setups incorporating advanced technologies. Modern wireless nurse call systems feature a range of components designed to ensure patients can summon assistance promptly and efficiently. We have various systems with features such as door lights, pull cords, pillow speakers, and call buttons mounted on the wall. These systems can be placed near the ward beds, or washroom area, to allow patients to immediately ask for help at any time.

Key Components of nurse call systems

Modern nurse call systems have varying features and perform their functions differently. However, there are common features that apply to most modern systems as follows:

· Wall station

Equipped with speakers and microphones, wall stations enable direct communication between patients and nurses. They often include features like call buttons, ensuring patients can request help with ease.

· Bed controls

Bedside units are crucial for patient safety and convenience. They include bed cables that alert nurses if a patient attempts to leave their bed, enhancing fall prevention measures. Bedside controls also incorporate pillow speakers, allowing patients to communicate directly with nursing staff and control room features such as lighting and entertainment options.

· Pillow speaker

The pillow speaker is also known as the call light, and it allows a patient to reach the nurse for assistance, control the television and switch overbed lights on or off. Other than the light, there are breath calls that assist patients to contact nurses for help, by simply inhaling or exhaling into a given tube. The breath calls are very efficient when a patient has limited movement.  

· Desk console

The desk console is similar to a phone that a unit nurse uses to receive a call from patients and also call the patient’s rooms when needed.  Now, there are many types, such as desk console, watch type and light.

· Code blue

When the code blue button is pressed in a ward or patient’s room, there is a group of alerts that go off to mean that a patient requires urgent help. This alert is not only sent to the nurse station but also everywhere where the nurse call system is set to alert.  

These upgraded features of the nurse call system mean a lot to patients. They are a crucial link between medical staff and patients. Visitors can also use the nurse call systems on behalf of patients who require assistance.  

Customization and Benefits

With an upgraded system, nurses are able to prioritize calls because an alert is clear on whether the patient fell down, needs additional information on treatment, and more issues. This means that an upgraded wireless nurse call system allows patients to communicate their specific needs to their assigned nurses.

Modern wireless nurse call systems can be customized to suit your particular needs as a medical institution. This allows you to build your system in line with the rest of your facility systems so that they function in harmony. When the systems are wireless, your facility saves time and money that would otherwise have been spent on wired installation.  

Customizable nurse call systems are efficient in notifying nurses when patients need help. Such systems can even be connected to heart monitors and other crucial equipment to automatically notify nurses when there is an emergency.  

Customizable systems also notify nurses when to administer medication, schedule rounds, and handle other tasks. Nurses can also use customizable systems to tackle alarm notification fatigue. This is by allowing them to have a unique alarm sound for different types of calls from patients.

Main benefits of a wireless nurse call system

So how does a wireless nurse call system benefit your institution?

· Enhancing your patient care

Technology is an important aspect of the healthcare sector that helps in achieving different results. It helps in detecting various diseases, offering some forms of treatments, and improving task delivery in healthcare institutions. A wireless nurse call system is a form of technology that improves communication between patients and the hospital, thus boosting patient care.  

A nurse call system is important in any healthcare facility, even if it is hardly used. Do not assume that you can do without a well-upgraded nurse call system.

An older nurse call system may fail to effectively signal the plight of patients, most simply showing that the patient called. On the other hand, an upgraded system is clear on why the patient called and what the patient needs.

· Faster response to situations

A wireless nurse call system offers patients unlimited access to timely care, mainly when they need it urgently. This system creates alerts to the medical staff when patients need something addressed or urgent medical attention.  

Admitted patients in some cases do not have the energy to move around looking for nurses or doctors to attend to them. It is also quite hectic to have ailing patients stranded, and that is why it is important to have a wireless nurse call system for faster response to situations.  

The old system of documentation in healthcare facilities consumes a lot of time, space, and energy. This slows the process of admission and other services offered at the facility. With a good wireless nurse call system, however, you can use a digital mechanism for better and faster services.  

Final word

In conclusion, wireless nurse call systems represent a vital investment in modern healthcare infrastructure. By facilitating efficient communication and rapid response times, these systems contribute significantly to patient safety, satisfaction, and operational excellence within healthcare settings. Understanding their functionalities and potential benefits is essential for healthcare administrators aiming to enhance care delivery and optimize operational efficiency.

For healthcare facilities looking to implement or upgrade their nurse call systems, Aidbell offers comprehensive solutions designed to meet the diverse needs of modern healthcare environments. Contact us today to explore how wireless nurse call systems can transform patient care in your facility.

At Aidbell, we can help you find the right wireless nurse call system for your needs at a price you can afford. Get a free consultation and quote for your healthcare facility today.