Protecting Nurses with Real-Time Location Duress Alarms
Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry, spending more bedside time with patients than any other healthcare workers. However, this also puts them at significant risk of experiencing duress and violence on the job. According to the American Nurses Association, one in four nurses report being physically assaulted at work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds healthcare workers are nearly four times more likely to face workplace violence compared to all other private sector workers combined.
While security personnel play an important role, it’s impossible for them to immediately detect and respond to every staff duress incident across a facility. There is often little time between the start of a threatening situation and a full-scale assault. This is where real-time location solutions (RTLS) using wireless devices can make all the difference in creating a safer environment for nurses and healthcare staff.
How RTLS Duress Alarms Work
An RTLS duress alarm system uses wireless devices like panic buttons, pull-cords, and wearable badges to allow staff to instantly activate an alert from anywhere if they feel threatened. The system identifies the precise location of the staff member and sends immediate notifications to security teams and administrators via visual and audible alarms, text messages, and a central dashboard.
There are various ways these devices can be activated:
- Button press: A wearable badge or mounted panic button that the staff member presses if they sense a threatening situation developing
- Pull-away: Badges tethered to lanyards or belt clips that activate an alarm if forcibly pulled away from the wearer during an altercation
Fall detection: Advanced systems with motion sensors that automatically trigger an alert if the wearer’s position changes suddenly, indicating they may have been pushed or knocked down
Benefits of RTLS Duress Alarms
Benefits of RTLS Duress AlarmsDeploying a reliable RTLS duress alarm system delivers numerous benefits to healthcare organizations:
- Faster emergency response: Security teams can pinpoint the exact location of a staff member in distress and provide immediate assistance before a situation escalates to violence. Every second counts.
- Improved staff safety and morale: Nurses and staff gain peace of mind knowing they have a way to discreetly call for help at any time. This leads to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover. As one hospital leader noted after implementing RTLS, “This isn’t just another administrative protocol to follow. The system’s proven results are a game-changer for our hospital’s safety and staff morale.”
- Reduced injuries and costs: Preventing assaults and injuries to healthcare workers reduces lost workdays, workers compensation claims, and costly turnover. The average worker’s comp claim from a healthcare workplace violence incident costs nearly $16,000.
- Better patient care: When staff feel safer and supported, they can focus on delivering higher quality patient care. High turnover from an unsafe environment negatively impacts continuity of care and patient outcomes.
- Liability and reputational risk mitigation: Healthcare facilities have a responsibility to maintain a safe workplace. RTLS duress alarms demonstrate a strong commitment to staff protection, reducing liability exposure and reputational damage.
Choosing the Right RTLS Solution
With many RTLS technologies and configurations available, it’s important to choose a solution that is purpose-built for staff duress alerting with:
- Fast, reliable alert activation and notification delivery
- Precise, room-level location accuracy
- Discreet, lightweight, comfortable wearable devices
- Integration with existing nurse call and security response workflows
- Scalability across large campuses and multi-building facilities
- A proven track record of success in healthcare environments
At Jet Hotel Solutions, we specialize in implementing best-in-class RTLS staff duress solutions tailored for the unique needs of hospitals, health systems, and other medical facilities. Leveraging industry leading technologies, our expert team works closely with you through every step – from system design and device selection to deployment, integration, testing, and ongoing support.
Our solutions incorporate wearable panic alert badges that are lightweight, discreet and comfortable for staff to wear at all times. With the touch of a button or a pull of the lanyard, nurses and other staff can activate an immediate alert that notifies security and pinpoints their exact location. Automated fall detection will sense if a staff member is forcibly knocked to the ground, even if they don’t have a free hand to activate the device.
In addition to the core alerting functionality, our RTLS solutions provide a wealth of data and analytics that enable workflow optimization and predictive risk identification. Heat mapping can identify high risk locations with frequent incidents. Correlating location data with patient medical records and visitor logs can surface leading indicators of potential aggression. Analyzing employee alert activations and security response times highlights opportunities to improve processes. All of this intelligence allows you to proactively mitigate risks and provide a safer healing environment.
Empower your healthcare staff with the confidence of knowing that help is always within arm’s reach with a medical-grade RTLS duress solution from Jet Hotel Solutions. Contact us today at www.jethotelsolutions.com to learn more and request a free demo and consultation. Let us help you send a clear message that staff safety is a top priority for your organization.