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Mar 24, 2009 7:46 pm US/Eastern
Changes At New Children's Hospital Improve Care
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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KDKA's Dr. Maria Simbra reports technology in medication carts will be linked to computers on wheels which are linked to a patient's medical record.
KDKA
If the nurses at Children's Hospital could design their workspace, they would wish for an easier way to give patients their medications in private rooms and closer to the nurses' station.
"Right now I could have a sicker patient all the way down at the end of the hall, and then one clear over there. So there's more running back and forth," explains Children's Hospital nurse Mary Rentler about the current care situation.
Sometimes wishes do come true. At the new Children's Hospital, things are designed to change.
"We are really trying to bring care closer to the bedside in many ways," says Diane Hupp, Chief Nursing Officer at Children's Hospital. "When you walk into the new hospital you will really see that technology is really big at the new hospital."
KDKA's Dr. Maria Simbra reports technology in medication carts will be linked to computers on wheels which are linked to a patient's medical record.
"They will not only be able to document their care on these computers, but they will also be able to dispense the medications directly from the carts at the bedside, as opposed to going to a traditional medication room, which is down the ways in a hall," explains Hupp.
Patient care staff will carry wireless phones so they can be more mobile and stay in touch with their patients.
One of the things the nurses will have to get used to is the sheer size of the intensive care unit -- not just a single large room, but 36 separate rooms that extend the entire length of the hospital along Penn Avenue and along 44th and 45th Streets.
Other features make it easier on the patients and their families.
"Nearly all of our rooms are private," Hupp points out.
This accommodates parents who want to stay with their children overnight.
Children's Hospital is moving on May 2, and nursing teams are already training in the new facility.
While it's a lot to adjust to, they hope the changes make patient care more efficient, with more time to spend with the patients.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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