Texting at work a good idea? You bet
By Michelle Gray-Bernhardt
Question: When is texting at work a good thing? Answer: When it’s used as a minimally invasive tool to keep nurses apprised of patient requests without leaving the patient bedside.
Intrigued? That’s the lesson learned at Sentara Leigh Hospital (SLH) in Norfolk, Va. The hospital implemented a house-wide text messaging system using Ascom wireless phones to keep its nurses at the bedside with few interruptions.
In the past, nurses at SLH were frustrated because they had ringing wireless phones that rang until the call was answered – this was problematic when the nurses were busy. In response, the SLH Six Sigma team and Nurse Practice Council proposed a new system. Now, when a patient calls, an administrative assistant answers the phone and sends the nurse a text message. The text page triggers a different beep that can be silenced with the push of a button. This allows the nurse to first complete whatever conversation or procedure they were conducting before reviewing the text.
However, if the call is not answered within two to three minutes, it continues to appear unanswered on the administrative assistant’s computer screen. The assistant then resends the text, or finds an alternate person to answer the request. The staff wears tracer tags that cancel the call bell when they enter the room so the administrative assistant knows the staff went to the room to answer the call, and no further follow up texts are required.
In cases where the patient needs help getting to the bathroom, or other simple tasks, the message goes to assistive personnel, the rounder (a special position at SLH), and the nurse. The rounder or assistive personnel would be expected to answer these requests, but the nurse is kept apprised of the situation. In situations where the nurse is needed, having a text message allows her to prioritize requests without interrupting her current task. It’s a win-win situation. The patient gets a fast response from hospital personnel, and the nurse appreciates the convenience of a text message versus a page.
Want to try this at your facility? Then consider using these tips:
*Ensure you have the telecommunications and information technology staff and resources for the roll out and for subsequent usage monitoring.
*Involve bedside staff in development and roll out phases.
* Establish process guidelines to follow, then hold bedside staff accountable for ownership and for rolling it out on their units.
A nurse manager at SLH also offered the following advice: “We had a few instances in the beginning where staff did not think we could monitor the text messages. Once word got out that we really could track use based on those few incidents, staff compliance with expectations has not been a problem.” They have also established goals around voice response and in person response, and generate weekly reports to monitor compliance.
Michelle Gray-Bernhardt is a knowledge manager at HMC.
