For example, nurses in the ICU might require a chart rack, while Med Surg might not. The nurses wanted a workstation that could be customized for various departments, depending on their needs. The height-adjustable work surface was requested after numerous complaints from nurses about feeling uncomfortable when using our previous COWs. The smaller footprint was necessary to navigate in and out of patient rooms, as well as for easier storage between shifts. Overwhelmingly, our nurses asked for a workstation with a smaller footprint, a height-adjustable work surface, the ability to add or upgrade components as needed, and the ability to provide on-screen battery-charge status. Our IT department collaborated with our nursing staff to assess the current COWs and to determine what changes needed to be made. And, we didn’t want to have to guess how much battery life remained. We didn’t want anything heavy, cumbersome, difficult to navigate or uncomfortable to use. We had already gone through the cart selection process once before, and it was easier to choose a workstation the second time around. The general consensus was that tablets might be fine down the road for applications, such as bar coding, but our clinicians preferred a large monitor for daily general use. We considered tablet PCs, but our nurses did not like their small screen size. As a result, they spend more time caring for patients and less time worrying about technology. Once we addressed our nurses’ concerns, they enthusiastically adopted the new technology. We learned that happy nurses make our patients happy. When other nurses arrived to begin the next shift, they were hard pressed to find one with a full battery.Īfter several months, the carts sat abandoned in an area that soon became known as the “COW corral.” It wasn’t simply an issue with a change in culture - the staff really tried to adopt the new technology, but with little success. And, because nurses never really knew how much battery life remained in a COW, they would forget to charge them after their shifts. Our nurses also expressed frustration with the carts’ large size and cumbersome design, which prevented them from easily navigating tight spaces in patient rooms. The biggest complaints about the carts we were using came from our aging workforce and were centered on ergonomics, such as small screen size and a difficulty pushing the heavy contraptions. At first, they were enthusiastic about the new technology, but as time went on, the problems became evident. The problem was, our nurses didn’t readily adopt the devices. The Trouble With COWsįour years ago, we implemented computers on wheels (COWs) with the goal of encouraging our nurses to chart at the bedside. To facilitate the charting process, we wanted to run these applications on workstations that nurses could easily take directly to the bedside for charting and rounding. In order to help nurses and other clinicians spend even more time with our patients, we have invested in software applications that allow caregivers to chart next to a patient’s bed, versus leaving the room to go to a centralized nurses’ station. Through the years, our professionals have gained this strong understanding of children by spending as much time as possible at their bedsides. These specialists work closely with nurses, therapists, pharmacists and other caring professionals who understand the medical, social and emotional needs of each stage of childhood and adolescence. Our 216-bed teaching hospital is affiliated with the University of South Florida College of Medicine, where more than 140 pediatric specialists provide state-of-the-art medical and surgical care for children. Since ACH was founded in 1926, it has grown into a leading pediatric referral center that is dedicated to advancing treatment, education, research and advocacy in child health. Focusing on the needs of nurses can help hospital IT departments make the best technology decisions and improve care giving at the bedside.Ĭonnecting with patients always has been a key objective of our leaders at All Children’s Hospital (ACH).
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