new unit

[MT ICU RN]

we are designing a new icu unit at my hospital. 18 beds. we want to know if headwalls or ceiling mounted booms are the way to go? pros and cons of both would be great.

also, how do you handle your ward sec duties in a bigger unit?

thanks;)

[nicolentony]

We are opening our new 2 floor ICU next week. We went with ceiling mounted booms. It gives us almost 360 degree access to the patient.

I'm not so sure about the unit clerks duties. I supposse I can let you know how it goes once we open up.

[RoxanRN]

Our clerk/HUC floats around the unit checking charts for orders and stuffing them and such (our charts remain at the nurses desk next to the respective rooms). The main unit phone number is forwarded to a sprecralink phone which they carry (if they don't answer it, it rolls to the charge nurse and vice versa).

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

The ICU's I have rotated through in my hospital (STICU, CVRU, CCU, MICU) all use boom mounted equipment. This allows you to move them anywhere they are convenient for the staff, whether you need quick access to the pt's HOB, instead of pulling the bed away from the wall, you just shove the boom out of your way. The pt is usually either in the middle of the room or 4 ft away from the wall, which allows 360o access.

[Mayflye]

We have a fancy new ICU with booms that are hydraulic and probably cost a bajillion dollars. I hate them. They are always in the way and the equipment you need is always in the wrong place. I am always limbo-ing under lines; you can't walk all the way around the room. For instance last shift the vent-tubing holder was where you couldn't possibly make it reach the patient and I had to tape it to the bed to keep it from pulling on the ET tube. I could not get the holder unattached to move it. Oh, and it seems to be impossible to turn the beds so the patient can see out the window or see the tv. The booms won't allow it. And our rooms are huge, but most of the space is wasted because the booms are in the way. They sounded like a great idea, but they are a pain. Plus, I remember the company saying everything was so portable for road trips like CT...not!

[Pjda]

We currently have experience with ceiling mounted equipment booms and have noted some of the same problems that others have seen - Eg they can take up a lot of space in the room, don't really get moved much once all the other "stuff" is in there. Has anyone worked with a wall mounted system? (Hill-rom offers this) or a system with arms that are less bulky?

[rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN]

We have the wall mounted in my SICU and it is woderful, the ceiling type are awfull our MICU has those, thank god Im not down there.