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Discussion

Monitoring system

I'm involved in redesigning our NICU III and am wondering what cardiac/resp monitoring system people like, I'm interested in a system that can transfer data from the monitor to a computer charting system.

Thanks for any help :)

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  • Experts

I am nearly certain that any monitoring system currently on the market has a way to output data into the charting system. The HL7 specification was designed to standardize the way that data is exported from devices used in healthcare. I have with worked in multiple hospitals with different monitoring systems including:

Spacelabs - monitors are slow to react, the central monitoring system is poorly designed and has issues with multiple alarms at the same time.

HP - the only ones I used were painfully outdated with limited functionality. There was no excuse for them still being used in a NICU environment, other than the hospital was cheap and they still turned on.

GE Solar - excellent system. It is easy to view multiple patients and alarms at the same time. The CIC monitoring software is excellent and has great retrieval capabilities. These monitors are capable of integrating with most ventilator systems so that you can see vent data on your monitor. (This depends on the model, but the 8000 line is excellent)

Philips - Nice system, poor implementation, very difficult to view multiple patients at the same time. Integrates fairly easily with most systems. I used this one in a Cerner integration. You could log into Cerner and "pull" data from the monitor at any time.

My favorite is by far the GE Solar monitors. GE has a great line of modules for integration capabilities of other devices as well. I miss working with IT stuff in healthcare :(

We have mostly HP...which look like they're from the early 80s and would better function as a door stop.

We have mostly HP...which look like they're from the early 80s and would better function as a door stop.

Did I tell you about the time a few weeks ago when I came back from lunch and discovered one of my monitors to be dead? As in pitch black, nothing on it. Luckily it happened with a stable RA feeder/grower (who was fine) and not someone really sick or had frequent A/B's! I've heard rumors from mgmt that we're supposed to get updated ones like they have in Level 2 but I'll believe it when I see it.

  • Experts
Did I tell you about the time a few weeks ago when I came back from lunch and discovered one of my monitors to be dead? As in pitch black, nothing on it. Luckily it happened with a stable RA feeder/grower (who was fine) and not someone really sick or had frequent A/B's! I've heard rumors from mgmt that we're supposed to get updated ones like they have in Level 2 but I'll believe it when I see it.

This is absolutely unacceptable. What was the organizational response to this?

Wait..your level II has newer monitors than the level III? Nevermind, I have actually experienced that before during one of my travel assignments.

Shame on your facility for risking lives in pursuit of lower expenses. Well, it's the American way!

This is absolutely unacceptable. What was the organizational response to this?

Wait..your level II has newer monitors than the level III? Nevermind, I have actually experienced that before during one of my travel assignments.

Shame on your facility for risking lives in pursuit of lower expenses. Well, it's the American way!

Well, the charge nurse didn't know what to think, but at least she helped me find a new monitor. I'm not sure if management ever got wind of it since it happened in the wee hours of the morning during a holiday weekend.

Yes, our level 2 has brand new monitors. The unit was expanding, creating private rooms. These rooms went to the most stable kiddos and were outfitted with state of the art monitors. Many of the kids don't even wear a pulse ox. Needless to say, level 3 felt a bit...shortchanged.

We (finally!!!) have the Philips monitors. Touch screen functions are nice. As previous poster mentioned, it can be a process to view more than one baby at a time on a monitor. However - the layout of our unit makes it so we can see all of the babies in our assignment at one time.

As we are still installing them (room by room), we haven't gotten the integration part up and running yet. We use EPIC for charting - anybody have experience with the Philips monitors and EPIC?

Well, the charge nurse didn't know what to think, but at least she helped me find a new monitor. I'm not sure if management ever got wind of it since it happened in the wee hours of the morning during a holiday weekend.

Yes, our level 2 has brand new monitors. The unit was expanding, creating private rooms. These rooms went to the most stable kiddos and were outfitted with state of the art monitors. Many of the kids don't even wear a pulse ox. Needless to say, level 3 felt a bit...shortchanged.

This sounds like something that should be reported on a safety basis!

As a nurse who works more Level II than Level III, I don't necessarily see a problem with a Level II having something newer than a Level III. (This is assuming the equipment in both units is functional, which doesn't seem to be the case here). Lots of places the Level III gets new stuff, better, bigger, newer, all the time, and the Level II just gets hand me downs. I also work Level III, so I recognize the need for top of the line equipment there. But, Level II doesn't always have to be the Cinderella step-sister, which is what it often feels like.

Did I tell you about the time a few weeks ago when I came back from lunch and discovered one of my monitors to be dead? As in pitch black, nothing on it. Luckily it happened with a stable RA feeder/grower (who was fine) and not someone really sick or had frequent A/B's! I've heard rumors from mgmt that we're supposed to get updated ones like they have in Level 2 but I'll believe it when I see it.

Yeah, Bear is supposed to get them. I slid one of mine over tonight (couldn't reach it to mute it and the kid beside mine had WAY too many toys to trip over) and it went out. I somehow got it going again.

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