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Who cares for the caregivers?
Who cares for the caregivers?
Home Sectors Healthcare Hospitals Staff Protect

Staff Protect—Ascom personnel safety solutions for frontline Healthcare workers

Workplace violence against nurses and other frontline caregivers is a growing and global problem. But how can we better protect vulnerable Healthcare workers? And how can we do it while still facilitating essential face-to-face contact?

Physical and verbal abuse against caregivers are so widespread they have been described as "characteristic hazards faced by all members of the nursing profession".1 That’s why a personal alarm system is essential in today’s Healthcare sector.

Ascom Staff Protect solutions enable fast, accurate and coordinated responses to personal safety alerts. Such alarm notifications can even be sent should a member of staff lose consciousness or otherwise be unable to transmit an alert. Ascom Staff Protect—looking after the caregivers.

References
1. Stephen, H. (1998). Yellow card for violent patients, Nursing Standard, 12, 52, Sep., 14

 

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Staff safety - what can be done to improve it?

Overview

Solution products

Documents

Overview

Solution products

Documents

  • What can be done to improve staff safety?

    The consequences of workplace violence in the Healthcare sector are enormous. Staff have been killed and seriously injured. Security costs strain already tight budgets. Workplaces become even more stressful—which can lead to an increased risk of medication errors.4 Staff turnover increases. Patient care can be compromised.

    But lots can be done to minimize risks. An Ascom Staff Protect solution, lets on-the-go workers send different types of alerts to pre-assigned colleagues and/or emergency services. A discreet ‘soft’ alert quietly informs colleagues of a potentially threatening situation. While other alerts can send location data, and may offer a ‘push-to-talk’ function that lets responders listen in to the phone sending the alarm.

    Who cares for the caregivers?

    Did you know?

    • Number of nurses and nursing students ...

      ... reported being physically assaulted in a 12-month period (1)
      21%
      21%

    • Violent acts that occur at night ...

      ... in patient rooms (2)
      80%
      80%

    Fast facts

    • Workplace violence leads to increased insurance premium costs, decreased productivity, decreased efficiency in the delivery of services, business interruptions, turn-over of employees, increased legal expenses, and negative coping strategies (e.g. increased intake of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes)3

    • Caregiver fatigue, injury, and stress are tied to a higher risk of medication errors and patient infections4
       

    References:
    1. American Nurses Association. (2014). American Nurses Association Health Risk Appraisal (HRA): Preliminary Findings October 2013 – October 2014. [online] Available at: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3826.pdf [Accessed 7 September 2016
    2. Medium. (2015). Urgent Care: Protecting Nurses Against Workplace Violence — Pacific Standard. [online] Available at: https://psmag.com/urgent-care-protecting-nurses-against-workplace-violence-aaeffd399541#.rszvhv1qz [Accessed 16 May 2016]
    3. Stanko, A. Elizabeth. Knowledge about the impact of violence at work in the health sector, in Cooper, L. Carey & Swenson, Naomi. Workplace violence in the health sector: state of the art. [online] Available at: http://who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/activities/workplace/WVstateart.pdf?ua=1&ua=1 [Accessed 7 September 2016]
    4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2015). Workplace Violence in Healthcare: Understanding the Challenge. [online] Available at: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3826.pdf [Accessed 15 September 2016]

    Reference case: Psychiatric University Clinics Basel

    "Our people now move with less anxiety on the grounds even at night, because they know that we can determine their position in an emergency situation quickly and exactly and can immediately provide help."

    Toni Huwyler

    Building and Safety Manager, PUC Basel

  • Solution architecture

    Ascom Staff Protect solution architechture.
    Architecture description

    Put simply, an Ascom Staff Protect solution consists of three main elements: handsets, wireless infrastructure, Ascom Unite software. Typically, a staff member presses an alarm button on a mobile handset (‘man-down’ and ‘no movement’ functions automatically send alerts). Alerts travel via wireless infrastructure, and are then processed by Ascom Unite.

    This software routes the alerts according to predefined plans, ensuring the right people receive the alarms in the right order. The location of the alert-issuing device can be plotted using RTLS, base stations, and Ascom location beacons. Positions and other key data can also be graphically shown on PC screens with the Alarm Management Client.

    Solution products

    The products shown below are only a part of Ascom’s total hardware and software offering. To see the complete product portfolio, click on ‘Products’ in the main menu. Contact your nearest Ascom office or representative to learn more about specific Ascom solutions, products and services. 

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  • Secure communication in highly complex environments
    PDF

    Secure communication in highly complex environments

    Psychiatric clinics belong to the most demanding environment in matters of personal protection. Creating an alarm and communication system in such an environment, which completely, autonomously and reliably facilitates alarm transmission with localization of the transmitter, as well as interactive voice and text communication, is really a masterpiece. Learn how Basel's Psychiatric University Clinics (PUC) improved safety.
    Download PDF

Other solutions

Calm Critical Care >

How can a hospital distribute alerts from monitors and other bedside equipment to mobile CCU staff, while simultaneously minimizing noise pollution and the risk of ‘alarm fatigue’? The challenge is that staff require timely patient data and alerts. But too many clinically insignificant alerts—particularly at night—impact staff, and can compromise patient well-being. One possible way forward is intelligent alert notification management that filters the flow of alerts to frontline staff.

Ascom Quiet ICU

Calm Inpatient Care >

Peace and quiet—a rare remedy in modern Healthcare? Nurses and other caregivers are constantly on the go. But all too often the information they need isn’t. Instead, it’s inaccessible or stationary: inside a desktop PC, written in a journal, inside a colleague’s head. Making this information accessible can help improve workflow efficiency, and can contribute to better patient satisfaction.

Patient Care Share >

Healthcare is the ultimate team activity. But to work, each team member—from lab technicians to porters to nurses—needs access to up-to-date patient and treatment data. Ascom Patient Care Share solutions make data flow secure and easy, while building on the infrastructure you already have.

Activate—Ascom solutions for Rapid Response Teams >

Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have revolutionized acute care. But getting the right people and equipment to an emergency requires sophisticated technology. Manual alerts and interventions just aren’t quick and flexible enough. What’s needed are automated alerts—messages sent directly to RRT members, and routed to other members if the user is busy.

Locate—Real-time Location Service >

Real-time Location Services (RTLS) tell you where help is needed—whether it’s an assault on staff, a mislaid equipment item, or a fallen or wandering patient. That means less time spent searching, more productive use of assets, and of course, safer patients.

The availability, configuration and technical specifications of Ascom products, services and solutions may vary from country to country. Please ask your nearest Ascom representative for further details.