Perspectives of 30 English Patients on Call Light Technology, Eloquence Revisited

Capturing nurses' perception of communicative technologies in nursing facilities: Survey instrument development

BACKGROUND

Despite the common perception of the call light system as crucial for patient safety, there are usability gaps between what features staff in nursing facilities need to address an alarm quickly and how the call system is designed. A survey instrument was developed to investigate nursing home staff experiences in using call light technology.

METHODS

A survey instrument was developed and distributed to staff in two nursing facilities in Up-State, New York (N = 278). The strength and direction of relationships between pairs of variables were measured using Pearson correlation and analysis of variance to investigate the perceived effect of staff's perception of the call light system on the work system's elements, process and staff outcomes.

RESULTS

The study found correlations between the job-level workload and the noise in the unit (r = 0.272, p = .000), between job-level workload and the ease of locating call lights (r = 0.154, p = .023), and between job stress and burnout (r = 0.176, p = .009). Only 64% of nursing home staff believed that the call light system reflected urgent needs, with younger staff relating to this group. The staff gave the work environment a high score, which corresponds to excessive noises caused by the call light alarm, according to 74% of the staff. These associations stem from gaps caused by a lack of user feedback in the design and acquisition process, leading to usability issues that reduce performance and satisfaction over time.

CONCLUSION

The study found that the type of call light system used is associated with usability challenges that often impeded the performance of the nursing home staff's response to residents. These insights can improve the selection of a new call light system that avoids usability issues and challenges identified by end-users.

Nursing staff's evaluation of facilitators and barriers during implementation of wireless nurse call systems in residential care facilities. A cross-sectional study

Background

Traditional nurse call systems used in residential care facilities rely on patients to summon assistance for routine or emergency needs. Wireless nurse call systems (WNCS) offer new affordances for persons unable to actively or consciously engage with the system, allowing detection of hazardous situations, prevention and timely treatment, as well as enhanced nurse workflows. This study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers of implementation of WNCSs in residential care facilities.

Methods

The study had a cross-sectional descriptive design. We collected data from care providers (n = 98) based on the Measurement Instrument for Determinants of Innovation (MIDI) framework in five Norwegian residential care facilities during the first year of WNCS implementation. The self-reporting MIDI questionnaire was adapted to the contexts. Descriptive statistics were used to explore participant characteristics and MIDI item and determinant scores. MIDI items to which ≥20% of participants disagreed/totally disagreed were regarded as barriers and items to which ≥80% of participants agreed/totally agreed were regarded as facilitators for implementation.

Results

More facilitators (n = 22) than barriers (n = 6) were identified. The greatest facilitators, reported by 98% of the care providers, were the expected outcomes: the importance and probability of achieving prompt call responses and increased safety, and the normative belief of unit managers. During the implementation process, 87% became familiar with the systems, and 86 and 90%, respectively regarded themselves and their colleagues as competent users of the WNCS. The most salient barriers, reported by 37%, were their lack of prior knowledge and that they found the WNCS difficult to learn. No features of the technology were identified as barriers.

Conclusions

Overall, the care providers gave a positive evaluation of the WNCS implementation. The barriers to implementation were addressed by training and practicing technological skills, facilitated by the influence and support by the manager and the colleagues within the residential care unit. WNCSs offer a range of advanced applications and services, and further research is needed as more WNCS functionalities are implemented into residential care services.