Nurse Tracking Device

[RN_Pink]

I just want to get others opinions on this subject. I searched on here and saw where there were some old threads regarding this topic but I wanted to start a new one.

The hospital in which I work started using a tracking device system called Responder 5 about 2 years ago. The staff wears a tracker that has "Versus" on it. I have no problem wearing something that shows that I am working and doing my job because I do just that. This system has a light over the doors of our rooms and the light indicates who is in the room, the CNA, nurse, LPN, etc. I work night shift and we have had ongoing problems with these trackers. First of all, it is supposed to cancel our call light when we walk in the room of the patient calling. It does not work half the time. Then we can be in the rooms giving meds, turning patients, etc. and come out and the light was never on. I have had this happen several times.

With our tracking devices, if they are turned backwards or not pinned up on your shoulder area, they do not work. In my opinion they can be a huge failure and not mistake-proof unless you are constantly making sure it is turned right. If the battery dies you most likely won't know until someone notices your light is never coming on or if your director pulls your tracking report and confronts you saying you have not been in your rooms. If you are on the "get rid of list" you will get fired over this. I have seen many get fired or written up over their tracker and in some cases it has been the battery is dead.

I feel that the facility I currently work in is so focused on these trackers and it has made everyone very nervous. I know when I go in my patient's room I am constantly wondering, "Is my light on outside the room?" It is almost to the point you cannot provide the care you need because of worrying about "not being picked up in the room." Also with our unit they are worried about call lights and we must answer them in a certain amount of time. Well the tracker is supposed to cancel the light when we go in the room. Most nurses take for granted that the tracker is going to do just that and it doesn't which then sends the light into "overtime" and then we have to explain to the nursing supervisor just why did our light go into overtime.

I understand the fact that my facility wants to ensure great patient care but I feel that this tracking device is not the solution. I feel that there needs to be a much more

mistake-proof tracking system. We have a lot of issues with being in the room and the sensor never picks us up. I have tried to discuss with my director but I get a answer like, "have the battery changed". I have had my battery changed along with my co-workers several times and still nothing changes.

I just want to see what everyone else thinks and if anyone else has the same issues with this system.

[kungpoopanda]

It's complete and total ********. I highly doubt that quality of care had improved since the implementation of these things, and they won't get rid of them because they make it easier to fire nurses. Nurses just slide them under the door, or leave them in a room for a few minutes them come out and chart. At least that's what happens where I'm at.

I don't see anyone putting them on physician's badges to make sure they actually round on each patient, or spend more than 15 seconds in a room.

Additionally, if it takes me 45 minutes to poop one day, then that's just how long it takes.

This. The myth that nurses are independent professionals is the biggest lie ever told.

[RNewbie]

We use the responder 5 as well. There are issues with out sensors too. Sometimes they work in certain rooms, but not others. They won't pick up if you don't wear them high enough. Sometimes they stay lit up as if I'm in a room way after I left the room already. At my facility I really feel like they are used to protect the staff vs spying to see if we are doing our jobs. The only time our manager runs the reports is when there is a patient complaint or a discrepancy with an issue, or when we have falls. We have patients all the time that claim no one has been in their room for hours. We do hourly rounding and document on the board when we go in the room. The only time I really think to make sure my sensor is working properly is when I have a difficult patient who I feel may complain. I want to make sure that the report will show that I was I was in the pt's room every 20 min for something and how long I stayed in there providing care.

[SeaH20RN, BSN]

We use trackers. If they question if I've been in the room or not. I have then just ask the pt. I do my job and don't have time to worry about it.

[AdobeRN]

When I worked in a hospital we used trackers also. They were never a big deal - only time useful was if someone was looking for you. We never relied on them for reports of how often we went in/out of a room.

[rnkaytee]

Next you're going to have vest-cams like police do! I can't believe that the tracker is even a thing.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

The hospital I am doing my clinical rotation has these. It's not so much for tracking how much time a nurse spends in a room as to let the rest of the staff know that someone has answered the call light and they are in there taking care of the patient. It is also useful if you cannot find someone and you need to know where they are at. I asked several of the nurses how the felt about them and all of them like them. Not one said a negative word about it. But also this hospital is not using it to "track" employees.

[canigraduate]

One of the hospitals I work at now has a tracker system, and it has been so unreliable that we only use it to try and find each other. It isn't even reliable for that.

Frankly, I think it's a waste of money.

In your situation, I would put an "out-of-order" sign on it at the beginning of the shift, encourage everyone else to do the same, and hand them in to administration. A week of no one using them will take care of the problem.

They can go back to tracking you the old-fashioned way, through your documentation.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

My unit started them three years ago. Interestingly, no one can find any of the trackers now. I know mine got "accidentally" flushed down the toilet.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

This. The myth that nurses are independent professionals is the biggest lie ever told.

Amen to that! We are treated like children who have to be followed around to make sure we are doing our jobs.

The facility I worked at before had trackers, and we had to document rounding on the EMR, and on paper rounding sheets on the patients bathroom door. It's ridiculous. And when you have 8 patients, no techs, and there are a couple of codes, you won't make it into all your patients rooms every hour. Just saying.

ETA: We use pagers to reach staff. It works hospital wide. I've gotten a page while in the ED (took a patient to CT), and also got a page 25 miles away when I accidentally took my pager home! Ooops!. I prefer the pagers

[Angeljho, MSN, NP]

So facilities are tracking nurses now? What's next? internal microchips. This is getting ridiculous.