CIOs are leveraging wireless technologies to help nurses deliver patient care safely

Vocera's are used in my hospital and we have lots of problems with them

I have not found technology to be as efficient as the old fashioned way. I am constantly being interrupted by phone calls, there are times when I have a patient in the bed, a call on the line and one on hold. I am constantly interrupted while pulling medications for my patients, and while doing assessments and procedures. It's distracting, and dangerous, as well as frustrating for the patient and myself. The computer system is often crashing, or being tweeked by IT for one reason or another; which interferes with the precious and few spare seconds I may have to accomplish some charting between other nursing responsibilities. I am also concerned about being exposed to the build up effects of radiation from these wireless technologies I am now forced to surround myself with to for 40 hours a week. One hospital I worked at even made us wear a location tag which monitored our location the entire shift. I don't feel safer.

What a load of crap.....all this would be great if they didnt charge 20x what it cost to produce the equipment and make profits of over 300%. This BS is nothing but a booster rocket to push health care costs even higher than they already are.

reading this junk doesnt make me happy, it just makes me really really really angry.

I'm not sure from you post which part you are referring to as BS. I am assuming it's the overall cost to health care for investing in these "time saving" devices is your what your referring to.

I am also not sure whether there was any studies done to determine if cell phones were really considered time saving when in the hands of nurses. For instance:

Some of the problems I didn't previously mention with the use of a cell phone is unnecessary calls. I call an MD by calling his answering service who then contacts him and he's supposed to return my call, which many don't do for quite a while. Then I either get a call from the MD or a call from the answering service as to whether the MD has called me or not, and the cycle starts over again. I get call to confirm whether the MD really wants the labs ordered to be done again, because they would be a repeat. I get calls from PT asking if they can work with my patients. I get calls from family members who want information on their loved ones. I in turn have to run to the patients room to get verbal auth to speak to them, or refer them to the patients themselves because of HIPPA. I get calls from patients wanting to order meals when we have room service, I get calls from dietary because a patient is on dietary restrictions and has ordered something they shouldn't have. I get calls from radiology and every other department wanting to know if the patient consent forms have been signed and whether they are ready to go, what mode of transport, etc. I get calls from consulting MD's...the phone doesn't stop ringing.

As far as the safety issues, it's easy to make medication errors when your taking calls while preparing medication regimens. The physical safety of nurses in regards to wireless technology can now be questioned legitimately, on Sept 14th a Senate subcommittee began US investigations into research on the use of cell phones which indicate there is a connection in development of brain tumors from use of these devices. The US is lagging in research in this area while other respected and highly technologically advanced countries around the world are sounding alarms. Of course, they don't have the bureaucracy and the fight against big business such as telecommunications that we have here in the US, to interfere with their research. It was quite enlightening to watch this hearing I suggest anyone with an inklings of concern tune in and watch the expert testimony that was given. I say limit the use by nurses, and make better use of our unit clerks

I don't know what Voceros are.

NRSKaren the Vocera does look convenient, it really is an innovative (Star Trek like) device. I often choose not to take my cell phone with me because I don't like carrying it next to my body, and it doesn't take long before someone runs down the hall and reprimands me because I didn't answer my phone. I like the "turn it off" feature, I just wish I could turn it off all the time, LOL. I seldom answer the phone at home that's what I have VM for.

While this truly is an amazing and amusing device, I wouldn't feel any better using it. There's independent research going on (not sponsored by the telecommunication companies) that indicates that the frequencies given off by these devices have an accumulative effect on the rapid replicating cells of the body, and have the ability to damage DNA/RNA; thereby, causing cancer in people with prolonged exposure. The only studies that refute this data are old and biased (paid for). The latest information out of the EU indicates that we should be limiting our exposure to this technology, not looking for new ways to ad more into our lives. At least until the safety issue has been dealt with.

The top scientists and biologists from around the world are involved in these studies went before the senate this week Sept 14, 2009, to warn them in person of their findings since results of their data didn't convey the urgency of their message well enough. You can see this hearing at http://appropriations.senate.gov/webcasts.cfm Two American senators sponsored this hearing it's, very interesting, as a health professional I recommend it to all in the field.

By the way, I recently had a healthy nurse friend (in her early 30's) who just got married and was going to start a family, she became gradually ill and was examined, only to find she had multiple benign tumors in her uterus and both ovaries. After the surgery she discovered that these tumors were, some of them, between 1 and two pounds and had developed hair while forming. It may not be related, but she's always kept her cell phone on and in her scrub pocket for years. The tumors that are believed to be caused by cell phones take about 10 years to be noticed, just about as long as she has been a nurse and carrying her cell phone in her abdominal pockets.