The call light, a patient's main access to his or her nurse, has long been the standard in hospitals worldwide. But, Chalmette Medical Center's recent installation of a new cordless nurse phone system on its medical/surgical units is breaking tradition.

The new Spectralink wireless phone network provides patients with a four-digit number that, when called, is answered by their nurse or nurse's aide directly. Since each nurse is assigned a portable phone at the beginning of a shift, the result has been improved patient care and response time.

"Our patients now have direct access to their caregivers, no matter where they are in the hospital," says Donna Shields, Chief Nursing Executive for CMC. "And, when a nurse calls and leaves a message for a physician concerning a patient, the physician is able to call the nurse back directly. They don't have to call the nurses' station and track down the nurse on the floor."

Instead of the expected increase in calls by patients to their caretakers, the opposite has happened. Because patients feel reassured that they easily can get in touch with their caregiver, they don't call as often. They also have the traditional call light available that alerts the nurses' station. The nurses at the desk then can call that patient's nurse directly and relay instructions on care issues by dialing or text messaging the nurse. This saves time in responding to a patient's needs and eliminates the need for nurses to return to the nurses' station to retrieve messages or physicians' orders.

"It's been well received by both nurses and patients," says Sandy Bailey, Nurse Manager. "Each nurse is assigned a phone at the start of a shift. When the nurse meets the patient, he or she writes their four-digit phone number on the patient's bulletin board where they can clearly see it. If the nurse is away from the nurses' station or even at lunch, a patient or physician is still able to contact the nurse or nurse's aide directly. So, there is continuity of patient care and less relaying of instructions and information."

Response-time complaints from patients have seen a marked drop since the phone system was implemented in October, according to Stella Jenevein, Patient Representative. The need for overhead paging also has decreased, providing a quieter patient environment.

Changes such as the new $70,000 nurse phone system will continue at CMC during the next year with a $12 million expansion underway. The addition of another nursing station and more private rooms, as well as the relocation and expansion of the intensive care unit, cardiopulmonary department and laboratory, are just some of the major improvements scheduled to begin this year.

9001 Patricia Street, P.O. Box 1727, Chalmette, LA 70044 (504) 620-6000