PubMed · 4496650
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E J Smith. 1974. The computer and nursing practice.. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006247-197409000-00022
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AIMS: To quantify the number of calls made to specified on-call house officer pagers and to comment on possible implications for practice. METHODS: Seven on-call pagers, covering a range of surgical and medical specialties at Auckland City Hospital, were identified. Data for a 4-month period from April to August 2004 was recorded and analysed in two groups: surgical services and medical services. Statistical software was used to calculate mean times between calls in specified time periods, and to compare differences between surgical and medical services. RESULTS: 25,389 pages were recorded. These data are presented as mean frequency of calls to each pager, divided into four time periods. The highest recorded rate was 6.9 minutes (mean) between calls in general surgery (1600-2200 shift), with the lowest recorded rate a mean of one call per 5 hours (2200-0800 shift) in geriatric and general medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Pager frequency is a potentially useful marker of job acuity and consequent junior doctor stress levels. This study demonstrated a high degree of variability in paging frequency both between services and between time periods. We recommend ongoing monitoring of paging frequencies and more even distribution of after-hours workload.
OBJECTIVE: There is limited research on patient call light use as it pertains to effective patient-care management, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Therefore, this study sought to determine the frequency of and reasons for patients' call light use, the effects of one-hour and two-hour nursing rounds on patients' use of the call light, and the effects of such rounding on patient satisfaction, as well as patient safety as measured by the rate of patient falls. METHODS: A six-week nationwide study was performed using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design; baseline data was taken during the first two weeks. Analyses were performed on data from 27 nursing units in 14 hospitals in which members of the nursing staff performed rounds either at one-hour or two-hour intervals using a specified protocol. RESULTS: Specific nursing actions performed at set intervals were associated with statistically significant reduced patient use of the call light overall, as well as a reduction of patient falls and increased patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: A protocol that incorporates specific actions into nursing rounds conducted either hourly or once every two hours can reduce the frequency of patients' call light use, increase their satisfaction with nursing care, and reduce falls. Based on these results, we suggest operational changes in hospitals, emphasizing nurse rounding on patients to achieve more effective patient-care management and improved patient satisfaction and safety.
The present article describes the activity of the Patient Liaison Service and Social Work Unit on March 11 and subsequent days. The service centered its activity on providing support, advice, and information to relatives, as well as on resource management and identification and localization of victims. The organization of activities and the response of the various professionals that comprise the team, as well as the results of their interventions are discussed.