Policy on WOWs

YOu mean the vendor did not provide an inservice on this???? Someone (Educator?) needs to contact the vendor to find out what solutions can be used on the equipment, if there are special covers that need to ordered, etc. If the Educator does not know the rep call Materiels Management or whoever takes care of shipping and receiving. They will have a purchase order or invoice and you can call to locate the rep.

Our laptops on wheels used to do all nursing documentation go into these rooms and back out on to the next without special covers and/or cleaning. Practice standard precautions and you should not have a problem. We have not any hospital acquired mrsa or vre since the start of computer documentation aprox 9 years ago.

We call them COWs (computer on wheels). We don't take them into isolation rooms.

Kelly

We use to call them COWs, but a patient's family overheard one of the nurses upset that her COW was not in the room. (where the nurse just left it for a minute to get something) and the patient's family thought they were talking about their mother who was overweight. (patient was in the hallway bathroom). Now we have to call them WOWs....

@ 2nd careerchange - hmmm...I wonder if you work at the same facility that I do. :)

We use to call them COWS but a nurse asked another nurse where the COW was and the patient thought that the nurse was referring to her. I think she wanted to sue so now they make us call it a WOW...even though on my floor, some of the nurses will still say COWS.

Anyhow...to the OP. We have a posting listed in our med room, showing us how to clean and disinfect the WOWS.

I work in the ICU. As such, we have huge glass double doors which allows the nursing staff to park the COW WOW's so that they do not actually enter the room. Each unit has drawers below the keyboard, and a large table which works very well to hold dispensed meds, IV piggy backs, syringes, papers and you name it. Very nice set up.

As an aside, I found this prior AllNurses article very entertaining. However, I have never been able to find a record of any legal action taken in regards to the "COW" name of the workstations.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/name-computer-wheels-339011.html

I found humor in this article : http://www.leanhealthcareexchange.com/?p=748

The WOWs must be brought up to the pt's doorway to verify meds and such, but I've only seen it brought into the room on a limited basis. It is policy to bring it in the room but very few do that for the reasons you mentioned. Of course a pt on precautions does not have the WOW brought in at all, just up to the doorway.

@ 2nd careerchange - hmmm...I wonder if you work at the same facility that I do. :)

We use to call them COWS but a nurse asked another nurse where the COW was and the patient thought that the nurse was referring to her. I think she wanted to sue so now they make us call it a WOW...even though on my floor, some of the nurses will still say COWS.

Anyhow...to the OP. We have a posting listed in our med room, showing us how to clean and disinfect the WOWS.

If the wand cord is long enough, you can leave the unit at the door and just have to clean the wand afterwards.

HOWEVER, the geniuses that build these things never seem to take this into account; just like the other 1200 inconviences built into the programs on these units. Not to mention the fact that 120lb nurses are expected to push these 300lb monsters around all day long.

We use WOWs for when giving meds, but ours also come in a handheld version for isolation rooms. We just stick the handheld in a bag and use a thermometer probe cover as a "stylus".

We use WOWs for when giving meds but ours also come in a handheld version for isolation rooms. We just stick the handheld in a bag and use a thermometer probe cover as a "stylus".[/quote']

Yeah, we were supposed to get those as well, haha. If the PTB had just done as they should have and installed terminals in the rooms like every OTHER hospital in this area; but NOOO. Our handhelds barely work as is, stick them in a bag and you would be charting "no scan" all day long.

We call them COWs (computer on wheels). We don't take them into isolation rooms.

Kelly

I'm with you, why would anyone drag a wow or cow into an isolation room or one with a pt who has mrsa or any other easily spread infection? I would just scan something else with the pt's barcode. There has to be exceptions to situations like that, policy should allow for not bringing computers into the rooms.

Greetings, 

This question is for experienced nurses, recent grads, and students. Why is the implementation of charting sitting or mostly standing in the hallway (3-4 hours at a time) a thing now?  I don't see Nurse managers passing meds from WOW, if any NM does have a group assigned, they pass meds using the window. When a NM is covering a shift they don't sit in the hallway nor interact with patients on a one-to-one basis, less sitting in the hallway- day or night. For context, this particular setting is in Behavioral and Psych Nursing (Adult IP). My perspective?  The most time efficient way to chart is at the nurse's station AWAY from interruptions. The rationale for charting in the hallway given by management is "Pt's won't be curious as to what we're doing". Sorry, but this is not the case, time and time again this gets disproved.  Patients approach and interrupt throughout the day, whether is a true emergency or not; irrespective to gender, sex, color, race, ethnicity (although if they pick a target, they fixate for hours even days). It seems to me as if BHA's are wanting the nurses to do their job as well as ours. I used to be a Tech/CNA, that's our job assisting with patients. If a nurse needs to print a document and is seen sitting at the nurse's station, the unit clerk will leave the station and then the phone's start ringing NON-STOP, sometimes for silly things like: Hey, how are you doing? Are you sitting in the hallway? 
Who came up with this idea? Maybe a nurse with 0 health issues? Or...?

I sincerely hope this is not the case in all nursing specialties settings. IF itis this must be taught in school. I'm pretty active besides when I do have to sit down due to my lower back issues, again, developed in nursing. The expectations should be more realistic. I truly think this and other of the many issues triggered by management- direct or higher have to be addressed. I chose nursing with the expectations shown during clinicals, hospitals, clinics, urgent care, and SNF alike. I think I may be quitting nursing altogether. How do I remind myself of my worth as a nurse and stop feeling as a glorified waitress?

No, no patronizing needed, I have my steps tracked every shift- 25,000 steps in just the first 6 hours of shift side ?. Yes, nursing has fed me and shown me I do have compassion, but...

Any career switch or area I could go to? ? 

Thank you to anybody that shares insight, thoughts, and maybe hope? respectfully as if were you or a loved/cared for one. 

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