NURSES NEED EFFECTIVE MOBILE SOLUTIONS

Without nurses, healthcare couldn't happen in the competent, effective, safe ways it does today. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistans, from pediatric to oncological specialties, elevate how care is provided to patients in need.

Nurses are also currently in high demand – and not just because they’re good at their jobs. The American Hospital Association™ reports that approximately 100,000 nurses left the workforce in the past two years due to stress, burnout, and retirement¹. And, departures are expected to rise in the next five years as nurses are continually asked to care for too many patients, work long hours and don’t feel engaged by their work.

What if there was a solution that could help optimize nurses’ shifts and retain personnel? What if care could happen with greater competency, effectiveness, and safety? With more speed, improved accuracy, and better communications between providers in different departments?

Hospitals and care organizations can take action with the adoption of mobile devices, like handheld scanners and computers, to help mitigate the causes and effects – medical errors, overcrowded departments due to inefficient care, ensuing nurse departures and more – of this significant labor shortage.

HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY LEADS TO CHANGES THAT EVERYONE CAN FEEL

The implementation of new technologies and devices can improve nursing workflows and enhance how nurses perform their roles and responsibilities each day, creating opportunities for better patient care and experiences. This article explores how smart devices in healthcare, specifically handheld barcode scanners and mobile computers, benefit nurses and patients by:

• Streamlining patient data management and vitals tracking
• Improving medicine administration
• Adding productivity and satisfaction to nursing and care workflows

DURABLE DEVICES DELIVER DATA MANAGEMENT AND HEALTH MONITORING EFFICIENCIES

From admittance to discharge, it’s likely that a patient will visit various departments throughout his or hear healthcare journey. To ensure complete, thorough, precise care from start to finish, everything about the patient needs to be documented. This includes but is not limited to, insurance, medical history, allergies, chronic illnesses, presenting symptoms, room assignments, providers responsible for care, exact dosages of administered medications, tests ordered, and lab results. Barcodes are usually included on patient wristbands, medical charts, medicine vials, and supplies for identification.

Handheld scanners have the capabilities needed to help document all types of patient data. Some scanners can even read various types of barcodes, meaning nurses won’t need to change devices as patients move or medications change. These digital solutions can organize and secure data as it’s captured, and then seamlessly upload information to patient-management platforms. Eliminating manual data capture and entry saves time in an environment where every second counts and reduces the risk of errors.

Mobile computers, like handheld scanners, improve data management efficiencies within healthcare. Once data has been collected, recorded, and transmitted to platforms, nurses can use mobile computers to access what they need, when they need it. Because most mobile computers can usually run multiple applications at the same time, nurses can receive test results and updates while they use devices to communicate with other care providers. They can also analyze data while they’re performing care at a patient’s bedside instead of traveling back and forth to desktop, wired solutions. For example, if a patient presents with and is admitted for a high fever, nurses can record their temperature each hour and adjust medication as needed while monitoring overall changes since the patient first arrived.

With mobile devices, everything is in the palm of nurses’ hands for greater accessibility, visibility, accuracy and patient-focused care.

IMPROVE MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION WITH BARCODE SCANNERS AND MOBILE COMPUTERS

The National Library of Medicine determines that there are two major types of medical errors:

• Errors of omission because of actions not taken, like not strapping a patient into a wheelchair
• Errors that occur when the wrong action is taken, including administering a medication to which a patient has a known allergy, or not labeling a lab specimen that’s subsequently ascribed to the wrong patient²

These medical errors jeopardize what’s paramount: the health and safety of patients. They’re also costly. For the latter, it’s estimated that the extra medical costs of drug-related injuries that occur in hospitals alone are close to $3.5 billion each year3.

Thankfully, some medical errors are preventable with handheld scanners and mobile computers, which can help nurses stay mistake-free throughout their shifts. Upon admittance, a patient is given a wristband with a unique barcode. This barcode, when scanned, populates information (proper dosage, medication allergies, pre-existing conditions, etc.) into mobile devices that can then be used to make sure the right medication is administered to the right patient. And, as shifts change, nurses who inherit various cases don’t have to waste time getting up to speed because all data exists in one convenient, digital location.

Smart, healthcare-centric solutions also eliminate the troubles that come standard with handwriting illegibility. Instead of nurses having to decipher doctors’ handwriting, mobile computers take the guesswork out of treatments. Care providers can type dosages, digitally select treatments that are needed and update records electronically. Not only are these methods more accurate and thus safer for patients, but they’re faster and better for entire systems’ bottom lines, too.

GREATER PRODUCTIVITY, GREATER SATISFACTION FOR ALL

Data management efficiencies, comprehensive vitals tracking and improved medicine administration with handheld scanners and mobile computers can create smarter, safer, faster healthcare workflows for nurses and patients:

• If a patient has visited the hospital or medical office before, one scan of their wristband’s barcode should automatically populate their demographic information, medical history, etc. This beats the time-consuming alternative of sifting through physical charts and asking patients to repeat the same information to multiple people, allowing care to occur more quickly.
• Handheld barcode scanners and mobile computers provide accuracy and efficiency when capturing data compared to manual entries and records; patient data can be documented directly into electronic health records so nurses can spend time focusing on patient needs instead of transferring data from one medium to digital format(s). Reduced documentation requirements, because of solutions-based accuracy and speed, can make nurses’ workloads more manageable.
• Mobile computers come standard with messaging features and notifications, meaning a nurse can be reached if a patient’s condition changes, if he or she is needed for an emergency or if test results should be viewed right away. These solutions keep nurses connected so they can be reached at any time, in any place.

The adoption and integration of mobile computers and handheld scanners also help attract and retain skilled nursing personnel. Because nurses often deal with a heavy workload, they’re more inclined to work with solutions that reduce administrative burdens. Not only do handheld barcode scanners and mobile computers help nurses overcome administrative challenges, but, with a few clicks, instead of tedious manual documentation, they can keep nurses engaged in patient-centric tasks.

Handheld scanners and mobile computers are also easy to use, meaning less time and fewer resources are required to train nurses on best device practices. Mobile computers, though slightly different in size and shape, are known to mimic the functionalities and user experience of modern cell phones, with optimized features for healthcare. Familiarity with how devices work means nurses can almost immediately make a positive impact on patients’ lives instead of having to learn and train with new technologies.

Handheld barcode scanners and mobile computers are two solutions that can prioritize patients and optimal care outcomes by attracting nurses, retaining them and helping them work smartly, safely, productively and efficiently.

NURSES AND PATIENTS NEED HONEYWELL HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

Mobile computer and handheld scanner product options are widely available in the healthcare market today. But quantity doesn’t always equal quality – and in healthcare, quality is of utmost importance.

Hospitals and medical offices must ensure nurses have trusted, reliable, high-quality solutions. Honeywell Productivity Solutions & Services (PSS) can help.

Honeywell PSS has an extensive portfolio of products, technologies and solutions designed to support nurses and patients in fast-paced, critical healthcare environments. This portfolio includes barcode scanners, such as the Xenon™ Ultra family of scanners, and mobile computers, like the CT30 XP Healthcare (HC) mobile computer.

These solutions are form-fit to streamline healthcare workflows and empower clinicians. With features like a green-dot LED aimer and multiple operating modes, the Xenon Ultra can help nurses quickly and easily document all patient data, even with low-quality barcodes. The CT30 XP HC also shares this agility and accuracy. It’s lightweight and comfortable to be carried by nurses throughout entire shifts, features a long battery life and can seamlessly integrate into existing IT infrastructure. Both solutions can capture data securely to help minimize the risk of cyber threats.

Honeywell understands the importance of helping those who help others, while simultaneously meeting strict standards for safety and care. Improving nurses’ efficiency, precision, engagement and productivity with handheld barcode scanners and mobile computers can create a positive, performance-enhancing ripple effect throughout entire healthcare systems and give patients the first-rate care they deserve.

Make the first wave with Honeywell healthcare solutions.

¹ “Study Projects Nursing Shortage Crisis Will Continue Without Concerted Action.” American Hospital Association. 13 April 2023. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2023-04-13-study-projects-nursing-shortage-crisis-will-continue-without-concerted-action
² “Medical Error Reduction and Prevention.” National Library of Medicine. 2 May 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
³ “Medication Errors.” Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). 18 July 2019. https://www.amcp.org/about/managed-care-pharmacy-101/concepts-managed-care-pharmacy/medication-errors