(almost) new grad has question about device used at potential hospital..

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

While there I noticed a round plastic device by their name badge and inquired what it was. Apparently it is for monitoring the nurse's location (every floor-not just ortho) so that if the patient claims that a nurse was never in their rooom for care, the nurse manager or whoever could print out the stats on where they had been all night and how long they had in fact been in their rooms..

Holy Big Brother, Batman! :stone

Seriously, all kidding aside, that has massive potential to be abused by the hospital administration. I hope this is not what the rest of the hospitals are coming too. It seems more like an excuse to spy on the nurses than an aid to back the nurse up. (Which they will not do anyway when the s--- hits the fan.) Are other personnel required to wear these? I find it really demeaning. I would steer as clear as can be from this facility. If they are that mistrustful of their employees, I would not want to work there. :nono:

suzanne4, RN · Jul 30, 2005

The telephones can be wonderful, you can get calls directly where ever you are without having to run around. Also cuts way down on the overhead paging.

But the locator buttons, no way. Totally inappropriate. Are they going to monitor how many bathroom breaks that you have? That is over the line in my opinion.

I would not consider a position there for any reason.

sailornurse · Jul 30, 2005

I have worked at a facility that used the tracking buttons. The ward secretary could locate you then use the intercom to deliver a message to you in the room you were in, instead of paging the entire floor page so that you did not disturb patients that were resting. It saved sending someone to "find you" if you had put in a page to a physician etc.There was no "record" kept. It was a timesaver if I needed to find a particular nurse. No need to holler or go searching all the rooms assigned to a particular nurse. The device also lit the outside call light so people knew someone was in the room. They were really neat.

Another facility uses the mini cell phones & boy do they save time communicating with physicians, other departments, and other nurses. No need to search or yell out for each other. Physicians return calls to your phone. NO more dashing down the hall only to find the doc hung up!!!!!

You can not get away from technology. Properly used it will allow more time for what we should be doing, Taking care of patients.

funinsun · Jul 30, 2005

Thanks for your input everyone.. It's nice to see that someone else has actually seen them used.. The nurse manager specifically said that it was used as a record to show patients that over time you had been in their rooms an adequete amount of time which sounded to me like they were able to keep that information for a bit of time.. I didn't want to press the issue too much for the sake of seeming paranoid, but it definetly made me stop and think that this was a little weird..(the potential for that to be used against you-if it is longterm and something they refer to often- is definetly there I think).

ckh23, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

Ah yes, the nurse lo jack. We use them at my facility. We don't have our stats pulled, as far as I know. We do have devices on the floor that will tell you where an onshift nurse is at any given time. Just like on a car. :chuckle

Nemhain · Jul 30, 2005

I have worked at a facility that used the tracking buttons. The ward secretary could locate you then use the intercom to deliver a message to you in the room you were in, instead of paging the entire floor page so that you did not disturb patients that were resting. It saved sending someone to "find you" if you had put in a page to a physician etc.There was no "record" kept. It was a timesaver if I needed to find a particular nurse. No need to holler or go searching all the rooms assigned to a particular nurse. The device also lit the outside call light so people knew someone was in the room. They were really neat.
Another facility uses the mini cell phones & boy do they save time communicating with physicians, other departments, and other nurses. No need to search or yell out for each other. Physicians return calls to your phone. NO more dashing down the hall only to find the doc hung up!!!!!
You can not get away from technology. Properly used it will allow more time for what we should be doing, Taking care of patients.

This sounds like the system that is at the hospital where my friend works. No record or statistics are kept. The unit secretary can only see what patient's room the nurse is in; they don't have sensors for the cafeteria, the nurse's lounge or the bathroom. Also, the sensor sets a light off outside the pt.'s door that indicates a nurse is in the room...this has cut down the number of "walk-ins" by doctors and pt.'s visitors. My friend and everyone she works with loves it! However, I don't think I'd work at a facility where stats were being kept of me...that's creepy.

ClaireMacl · Jul 30, 2005

in my ED in the uk, we've recently been allocated passes, but seeing as none of the agency (which we rely on heavily) have them and we have to let them through doors, I don't see the monitoring aspect of this device.

I hope it doesn't come to this... can you imagine having to swipe in and out of a patients cubicle in the ED?

lee22 · Jul 30, 2005

I would never work fpr an employer that used employee tracking devices. NEVER. There is to much potentail for the employer to abuse it. Sounds very Orwellian to me. :angryfire

funinsun · Jul 30, 2005

Now that I see what other people are saying about how they are used, it may just be to check the nurse's location.. But the nurse manager specifically said that they could 'pull up' where you have been and show it to patients which makes me think that it's more than just knowing your location at the moment..