Hospital Infant Security Systems

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Jul 19, 2005

We have alarms that go on the baby's ankle band, unfortunately, the bands are sometimes too loose, and fall off, ending up in the laundry. When the laundry is picked up, the alarms sound, and staff have to go through each bag to find the offending sensor and band. We don't often use them in the NICU, as the sensors are in the walls around the nursery, and the alarms go off when a crib or isolette is moved.They are supposed to be sensing movement in the hallways outside the nursery, as the pp unit is next door.

The idea is good, but I don't like the system, though. We are going to be a lockdown unit soon, I think that's the best idea.

We also have special ID tags, to connect us with Maternal/Child Health

BETSRN · Jul 19, 2005

We have alarms that go on the baby's ankle band, unfortunately, the bands are sometimes too loose, and fall off, ending up in the laundry. When the laundry is picked up, the alarms sound, and staff have to go through each bag to find the offending sensor and band. We don't often use them in the NICU, as the sensors are in the walls around the nursery, and the alarms go off when a crib or isolette is moved.They are supposed to be sensing movement in the hallways outside the nursery, as the pp unit is next door.
The idea is good, but I don't like the system, though. We are going to be a lockdown unit soon, I think that's the best idea.
We also have special ID tags, to connect us with Maternal/Child Health

I can't remember the name of our system but we use the sensor on one of the ankle bands. They work fine. The (exterior) doors lock when a baby gets too close to the door. The alarm is loud and oversensitive in a couple of the patient rooms. If a bracelet with the alarm tag falls off we just put it back on and tighten it a bit. It is no big deal. Our tags cannot get to the laundry because they can't get out the door without ringing. We are not a locked unit and thankfully, we have never had an incident.

palesarah · Jul 19, 2005

It seems like my hospital is the only one out of all the posters that don't use some kind of infant security system other than staff and surveillance. Other than ID bands (two on baby and two others, one on each parent or significant other or both on mom if dad isn't present at the delivery), we also have security doors. No one could come into the unit without checking in first at the main lobby, then again with a staff member when the come up to visit. As far as making sure mom has the right baby, the mom is encouraged to keep baby with her, but if baby is ever taken for a procedure, mom has to read her number to the nurse and the nurse makes sure the baby's number and mom's number matches when brought back to her. The staff members have special badges that easily identify us as "appropriate" staff to work with the moms and babies. We also have security guards constantly patrolling the unit throughout the day. Periodically we practice infant abduction drills, too. Our system seems to work out just fine and it's been like this forever. We haven't had any problems with JCAHO, but now that you've mentioned it, perhaps me may have to end up changing our system soon.

We don't have an alarm system, but our infant security measures were OK by JCAHO during our last survey (June 2004). We're a locked unit, we have 1 main entrance/exit that is always locked and staffed- visitors have to check in and be annouced, which our patients love, as they never have any unexpected visitors (and we can have visitors wait if a patient is not ready, or turn them away completely if that is what the patient wants). All maternity staff (nurses, physicians/midwives, and nurse's aides & unit secretaries) have a very noticeable pink stripe that IDs us as staff (the rest of the hospital has blue or purple stripes). Our badges allow us access through the locked doors- everyone else has to be buzzed in (and out), with the exception of a few ancillary staff (housekeeping & dietary but only those assigned to our unit, as well as respiratory and the nursing supervisors). We have security cameras by every door, babies are dressed only in hospital clothes to ID them as hospital babies, babies have to be transported in the halls in their basinetts. We also use bracelets with matching ID numbers- 2 for baby, 1 for mom, 1 for dad or other support person.

Our system works quite well for us, we have never had an incident or a baby mix-up and the patients are pleased with our securty measures.

babiernc · Jul 19, 2005

Hugs

Anyone using the HUGS system? I guess that is what we will be using from this point on where I work. I have heard very little about it.

The hospital I work in has the HUGS system and we love it. No one is able to get off the unit with a baby. When we problems with the computer system which has been rare the company is very good at helping over the phone or sending a rep ASAP. :)

pink2blue1 · Jul 22, 2005

As a mom and also someone who works in a hospital with a system (Sorry, don;t know which one because I am a CNA who works on Med Surg) But I had all 3 of my children there. There is a system where the baby wears this big square thing attched to the ankle band. I don't know how well it works, except that we have Code Pink Drills often and they say it's either because someone walked too close to the elevators or a nurse left it in her pocket after cutting it off a baby who went home and forgot. But as a mom I HATED those huge square things attached to the ankle band. All 3 of my babies ended up having scrapes from the weight of the band with the security device on it. Also they did fall off because the nurses would make the band loser in an attempt to not have the babies get scratches. However i suppose baby with a scratched ankle is better than an abducted baby.

bunny722 · Aug 25, 2005

We don't have an alarm system, but our infant security measures were OK by JCAHO during our last survey (June 2004). We're a locked unit, we have 1 main entrance/exit that is always locked and staffed- visitors have to check in and be annouced, which our patients love, as they never have any unexpected visitors (and we can have visitors wait if a patient is not ready, or turn them away completely if that is what the patient wants). All maternity staff (nurses, physicians/midwives, and nurse's aides & unit secretaries) have a very noticeable pink stripe that IDs us as staff (the rest of the hospital has blue or purple stripes). Our badges allow us access through the locked doors- everyone else has to be buzzed in (and out), with the exception of a few ancillary staff (housekeeping & dietary but only those assigned to our unit, as well as respiratory and the nursing supervisors). We have security cameras by every door, babies are dressed only in hospital clothes to ID them as hospital babies, babies have to be transported in the halls in their basinetts. We also use bracelets with matching ID numbers- 2 for baby, 1 for mom, 1 for dad or other support person.
Our system works quite well for us, we have never had an incident or a baby mix-up and the patients are pleased with our securty measures.

The big city hospital I work in uses pretty much all of the above, but we also use the Huggs system. We don't usually have problems with it, and when an alarm does go off, security comes up and asks to see the baby. The bands never get stinky because the babies are only here for a few days, but you can always suspend tamper it and change the band. No problems yet!

midwife2b · Aug 26, 2005

It seems like my hospital is the only one out of all the posters that don't use some kind of infant security system other than staff and surveillance. Other than ID bands (two on baby and two others, one on each parent or significant other or both on mom if dad isn't present at the delivery), we also have security doors. No one could come into the unit without checking in first at the main lobby, then again with a staff member when the come up to visit. As far as making sure mom has the right baby, the mom is encouraged to keep baby with her, but if baby is ever taken for a procedure, mom has to read her number to the nurse and the nurse makes sure the baby's number and mom's number matches when brought back to her. The staff members have special badges that easily identify us as "appropriate" staff to work with the moms and babies. We also have security guards constantly patrolling the unit throughout the day. Periodically we practice infant abduction drills, too. Our system seems to work out just fine and it's been like this forever. We haven't had any problems with JCAHO, but now that you've mentioned it, perhaps me may have to end up changing our system soon.

Sounds like we work at the same hospital... :)

justavolunteer · Aug 26, 2005

I volunteer on an adult floor that has the pediatric unit at the other end of the floor. Sometimes I was asked to go there to help hold a baby still while the nurse started an IV. Other times, I even got to give a baby a bottle, which brought back memories (my 3 are grown). No more! JCAHO squawked about allowing non-peds nurses & other people in there. Now they have a system where peds visitors have to be buzzed in. Myself, I'm totally banned from the unit. Not because of anything I did, just because of stupid JCAHO!

mom2dacl · Aug 29, 2005

We use PROSEC, I works well also, sounds similar to the HALO system. We have rare false alarms now that we have been using it for over a year. We got this system when we got a new unit built so I am not sure how it would be installed on an existing unit.

We also use Prosec. Our biggest problem: running out of sensors.

K

mstigerlily · Aug 29, 2005

We have the Halo system too on all our floors and they go off several time a night for those reasons too.

Also everyone on the L&D or PP floors has a yellow badge, all other hospital employees are white. Also baby has two bands, dad & mom have one, all numbers match.

Melissa

ckonicek · Jul 13, 2010

We have the Halo system too on all our floors and they go off several time a night for those reasons too.
Also everyone on the L&D or PP floors has a yellow badge, all other hospital employees are white. Also baby has two bands, dad & mom have one, all numbers match.
Melissa

The reasons those systems go off is because when your using them on multiple floors you have RFID bleed-through. You need a system that has the capability to stagger-tune between floors or certain zones on one floor are going to cause alarms on a different floor (either up or down).

Here's a couple of good articles that were just published in a hospital security magazine about infant protection systems:

http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/Channel/Hospital-Security/Articles/2010/07/New-Hampshire-Hospital-Deploys-RFID-Tags-for-Infant-Security.aspx

http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/Channel/Hospital-Security/Articles/2010/07/Infant-Security-Basics.aspx

The system they're talking about in the article is an accutech cuddles system that utilizes a soft band which wont fall off and cause alarm due to post birth weight loss, and also wont cut or chaffe a new-borns skin. I believe their systems also have a stagger tuning capability which wont cause alarms from different floors.

I hope all this helps...

klone, MSN, RN · Jul 13, 2010

One facility I've worked at uses Prosec, and another uses Halo. Surprisingly, three facilities I work at (all do about 70-100 births/month) don't use any security system at all.