Proper use of bed equipment and alarms is required for optimized patient outcomes and fall prevention strategies.

How do you know the bed alarm is armed on your patient's bed?

Solid Green Light Indicates Bed Exit is On

If Hillrom nurse call is in place, status board displays green solid icon when the bed exit is armed on either bed.  If the patient is at risk for falls, bed exit alarm needs to be armed. 

Please review the attached education on Versa Care Beds, Centrella Beds, and Accessing status board in HillRom Nurse Call. 

Bed Exit Alarm Guidance

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Please comment below with questions.

The Medication Safety Committee and Education Team in West Florida are recommending and rolling out the entering of the Patient ID into the Alaris pump. The standardized ID is the last 6 digits of the patient account number. I have attached an educational document for review. The education will also be included in the shift huddles at the West Florida facilities.

Please comment below with questions.

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Alaris ID

Please review attached educational handout on The Cactus Smart Sink from our partners in North Florida.

Key Points:

· The sink is for raw pharmaceutical waste only – tablets/capsules, liquid, and fentanyl patches

· Only Controlled Substance pharmaceutical waste is to be placed into the Cactus Sink

· Placing unapproved items in the collection slots of Cactus sink prevents proper disposal of controlled substances and presents opportunities for diversion

Cactus Smart Sink

Please comment below with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

• NEVER hand your sharps to anyone else.
• NEVER let others hand their sharps to you including physicians.
• ALWAYS engage safety device after an injection.
• DO NOT use your body parts to engage the safety device after an injection! ALWAYS use a surface that is AWAY from you and the patient instead (e.g., instead of using your other hand to engage the safety, use the tabletop instead).
• Place sharps into the sharp container IMMEDIATELY after an injection instead of leaving the sharp on the patient’s bed or the bedside table.
• NEVER take your eyes OFF of the sharp.
• Make sure the sharp ACTUALLY goes INSIDE of the sharp container.
• NEVER attempt to recap a contaminated needle after an injection. Instead, toss the sharp into the sharp container IMMEDIATELY after use.

Please comment below with questions.

Thank you!

Please ensure you are utilizing the parameters per MD orders when administering pain medication.

Example: Patient stated pain score 6.

MD Order:

Percocet 1 Tab PO Q6H PRN for pain score 1-3

Percocet 2 Tabs PO Q6H for pain score 4-7

Pain score greater then 7, call MD for additional orders.

Pain Medication Administration:

Percocet 2 Tabs PO Q6H

Please comment with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient care!

Please review attached education regarding Dilaudid Ordering and Pain Re-Assessment. The Goal is to ensure safe and appropriate ordering of Dilaudid IV by creating layers of safety across the entire medication process.

Please comment below with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Dilaudid Dose Assesment

Please review education provided by our partners at Clear Lake Regional in the Gulf Coast Division.

Nimodipine is considered a critical medication and must be administered within 30 minutes of the scheduled administration time. If unable to administer within this time frame, please document a reason for delay or early administration in the comments section of the eMAR or in a nurse's note.

In an effort to assist with communication from Regulatory Body visits, our partners at Medical City Dallas have created a document: Regulatory Terminology vs. "Our Terminology." This document reviews potential questions and the answers as it relates to the common terminology.

Please comment with questions.

Thank you for all you do!

Regulatory Terminology

Please review the attached Bedside Shift Report validation form and ensure you are including all components into your Bedside Shift Report. I have also included a video that shows patient involvement and sharing personal connections during the Bedside Shift Report.

Bedside Shift Validation Checklist

https://youtu.be/rOJ2QdPHzvU

Thank you for dedication to patient care!

Comment below with questions.

The HCA Nursing Insights Falls Initiative has been developed to measure key process indicators(KPI's) demonstrated through evidence to reduce the frequency of patient falls.

The attached Fall Reference document includes Fall Logic, Key Process Indicators, Falls Outcome Measures,  and Upcoming KPI's.

Fall Risk Assessments should be completed for all patients upon:

• Admission
• Transfer Into a Location
• Shift Change

Please review the document and comment with questions.

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Fall Reference Guide