It’s no secret that the first few days after a baby is born are filled with many new experiences, questions, concerns, and a lot of learning. This time is crucial for the family to bond and prepare for the transition to home life.
One study estimated that 30 to 60 percent of the noise in postpartum units is created by clinicians, while another report stated that “the routines of the unit and the physical environment were not consistent with parents’ goals or the mission of the organization” in providing the kind of calm, quiet environment that new parents and their babies need.
At Woman’s Hospital, we recently rolled out MEDITECH Point of Care in our Mother/Baby units, to support family bonding by allowing the nurse more time to engage with the patient, without limitations related to equipment or connectivity.
We aim to provide our nurses with a much-needed tool to facilitate a more seamless process for both the patient and nurse. In order to provide quality patient care, we believe that our nurses must be mobile and available to help at a moment’s notice.
Providing a more restful environment
Innovation is a key value here at Woman’s Hospital, along with respect, compassion, and excellence. We deliver approximately 8,000 babies a year with a Mother/Baby unit spanning 2 to 3 floors.
Our top-tier patient satisfaction scores are indicative of our commitment to provide each patient with the best possible experience.
Woman’s Hospital nurses work hard to minimize the interruptions, noise disturbances and distractions that come with using computers on wheels. We have been successful with implementing many measures to decrease noise and distractions for our patients over the years.
Although our scores are above the national average for patient satisfaction, our nurses have expressed feeling fatigued with pushing carts up and down long carpeted corridors.
Further, the nurses feel intrusive when lugging a heavy cart across a threshold to enter a patient room. We recognize the value of rest for our mothers and newborn infants, and any additional measure that we can take to avoid disturbing quiet time is priceless.
Focusing more on the patient and not the device
Our journey to implementing Expanse Point of Care is rooted in the vision of the direct care nurse to be more efficient and able to focus on the patient and not the device.
Nurses often spend time obtaining a mobile cart and troubleshooting scanner and network issues that can lead to frustration. These tasks take time away from direct patient care and can negatively impact the nurse/patient encounter.
Web POC affords our nurses the ability to have the patient’s record at her fingertips via a mobile device — immediate access to vital information such as allergies, vital signs, lab results, physician orders, and medications.
Imagine how much more mobile and available a nurse can be without having to fumble with bulky computers or paper charts!
The concept of using handheld devices is so familiar in day-to-day life, and our nurses have been seeking the same innovation in healthcare. They asked — and we listened.
Learn more about our move to Point of Care
If you’re wondering how our go-LIVE went, I’ll be part of the panel: “Documenting Real Time, In Less Time,” at the upcoming MEDITECH 2019 Nurse Forum in June, along with Joe Farr, RN and Clinical Applications Coordinator at King's Daughters Medical Center.
Moderated by MEDITECH Associate Vice President Cathy Turner, Joe and I will be discussing our experience with Point of Care and the many benefits we’ve seen in clinical efficiency and patient care.
That’s just one of the many informative sessions planned for the Nurse Forum, which provides nurses and nurse executives with the opportunity to discuss the changing healthcare landscape and the ways that they can use their EHR to deliver safer patient care.
I look forward to sharing our experience at Woman’s Hospital, and I hope you’ll join me for this great opportunity to network with other nurses and medical professionals.
Join MEDITECH for our 2019 Nurse Forum, June 12-14 in Foxborough, MA.
