Yacker Tracker in the NICU ???

[Bezoars]

So they just put one of these things on our unit. It's like a stoplight that goes yellow to red when there is too much noise. We are a small NICU unit. Seriously? I'm pretty insulted to be treated like a child. I tend to pick my battles wisely but this is just too much.

What do you think about the Yacker Tracker?

[video=youtube_share;WyssV2MQsps]

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Wow!

Yacker Tracker

[klone, MSN, RN]

Many years ago the manager of the L&D unit I worked on tried that. I think it lasted less than a month and it disappeared.

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

I had this! It worked great ... when I was a teacher in a *classroom full of little ones.*

I'd be insulted a bit as well.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

Many years ago the manager of the L&D unit I worked on tried that. I think it lasted less than a month and it disappeared.

We had one at my former facility, and night shift (including me) would take the batteries out at night. We were never that loud anyway, and it just ticked us off.

[Guest219794]

Well, how often does it go red?

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

Well, how often does it go red?

From what I remember, there are settings to it as well (adjusting to noise sensitivity). If this is still accurate, it could constantly go off, depending on whatever setting whoever put it there decided on.

When I used it, on the first setting -- it was always going red. It was unattainable for even the most well-behaved classroom to keep it at green. I had to change the setting so the classroom could attain the behavioral goal. I would imagine it could always be going off to red in a setting such as the NICU.

[vanilla bean]

These showed up all over my hospital a few years ago. They were pretty much universally ignored by staff and eventually disappeared.

[Extra Pickles]

Had one of these years ago, former job. We just changed the settings so you could pretty much expect a bomb to go off before it would turn red!

[MunoRN, RN]

We don't use that particular brand, but in general I'm glad that these are around. I don't mind being reminded when I'm using my 'midnight-at-the-bar' voice instead of my midnight-in-the-hospital voice, and helping visitors be aware of their noise level is also pretty important. Is there a belief that we shouldn't try and limit excessive noise in the hospital environment?

[RiskManager]

I had this! It worked great ... when I was a teacher in a *classroom full of little ones.*

I'd be insulted a bit as well.

Mrs. RiskManager, the elementary school teacher, has used one in her classrooms on occasion. I have never seen nor contemplated using one on a nursing unit. How odd.

PS: When she brought it home for the summer one year, I suggested putting it in the bedroom, and she gave me such a glare.

[amoLucia]

MunoRN - I just can't heap enough kudos on you!

My workplaces have been LTC.