Camera over each pts bed on the M/S unit.

[jlog.j]

Our hospital has had several falls recently, admin. has put a camera over each bed now with the monitor at the nurses station. This seems like an invasion of privacy to me. Does anyone work on a M/S unit like this?

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

Technology is only as good as the people behind it.

[LaughingRN]

So the camera is going to record the patient falling??!!

Unless you have someone dedicated to sitting in front of the video screens, this strategy sounds as useless as having bed alarms with no staff available to respond within seconds when they go off.

In fact, even with a dedicated person watching, if the elderly lady with dementia decides to heave herself over the bedrails and land on on her face and hip in the matter of 4 seconds (never underestimate the speed of the confused elderly) It would still be too late.

Short of restraining patients 24/7, all anyone can do is put a system of least harm (low bed position, mats on floor, proper staff, frequent rounds) in place, and realize that people will still fall and sometimes (more often than not) it is no ones fault.

But I understand that I'm am a realist, not an idealist

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

So if you are cleaning up a pt is that broadcast too or can you turn the camera off for personal care? I wouldn't want my family members hiney broadcast to a nursing station that might not be so secure when it comes to other family members walking by.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

So the camera is going to record the patient falling??!!

Unless you have someone dedicated to sitting in front of the video screens, this strategy sounds as useless as having bed alarms with no staff available to respond within seconds when they go off.

In fact, even with a dedicated person watching, if the elderly lady with dementia decides to heave herself over the bedrails and land on on her face and hip in the matter of 4 seconds (never underestimate the speed of the confused elderly) It would still be too late.

Short of restraining patients 24/7, all anyone can do is put a system of least harm (low bed position, mats on floor, proper staff, frequent rounds) in place, and realize that people will still fall and sometimes (more often than not) it is no ones fault.

But I understand that I'm am a realist, not an idealist

But we are being told it IS OUR FAULT! if we have a fall on our floor- everyone who is on is to stop everything immediately and have a "huddle" and basically be spanked as to how we need to prevent these things from happening and how WE are going to prevent it from happening again. Um duh mgmt- we have said over ad nauseum that we need staff to babysit these confused undirectable people, but that will NEVER happen.

ughh I hate my job :-(

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

i am still puzzled on how the cameras will help with the situation :uhoh21:

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

It's not the same as a a sitter, because the sitter is a person actually with the patient and able to keep the patient safe in bed. A camera is just a more invasive gimmick than a bed alarm it still presupposes adequate staffing and someone watching the camera and able to run quick enough!

I doubt they have a tech watching the monitors, the few staff on nights could be in other patient's rooms or on break. It still a matter of enough hands on deck and a TV doesn't solve that problem!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

At least mgmt has gotten the hint and finally is using sitters more frequently to prevent falls with confused patients. It's definetely made my job easier! I think the pressure of medicare's refusal to pay for injuries has finally made them sit up and take notice!

[DookieMeisterRN]

So is there a designated employee watching these cameras 24/7? And can that person or someone else dispatched get to that pt in harms way quick enough? Cameras or not, if there aren't enough staff, there aren't enough staff. Cameras AREN'T going to keep a pt from falling or pulling out their central line. I see it being more a liability than help.

How is a confused pt going to sign consent for being filmed in compromising situations, very unethical.We had a few cameras in certain rooms for the fall risk pts BEFORE we ever had bed alarms. They were taken down like at least 10 years ago. I can understand for epileptic pts and certain situations for teaching purposes/tx trials where consent can be clearly signed and understood.

[caliotter3]

I was in a room with a resident one time, and she managed to fall while I was emptying her bedpan in the bathroom, not eight steps away from her bed. The boss figured out a way to blame me for that, even though the resident was as fast as greased lightning. Don't really see how these cameras would be good at preventing falls, just good at recording them on videotape.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

Our hospital has had several falls recently, admin. has put a camera over each bed now with the monitor at the nurses station. This seems like an invasion of privacy to me. Does anyone work on a M/S unit like this?

Our neuro floor has cameras over the beds in the epilepsy wing. I remember my first day of clinical there; one patient refused to wear a stitch of clothing so they put a yellow post-it note over his junk on the monitor.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

This just seems like a horrible invasion of privacy to me. As a patient I would flat-out refuse to allow a camera to record my every stretch, grunt, or burp......hospitals are too much of an open book as it is.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

If I am in a hospital bed, you will not put a camera over my bed. Period.