Capturing nurses' perception of communicative technologies in nursing facilities: Survey instrument development

Area of Science:

• Healthcare technology
• Human-computer interaction
• Nursing home operations

Background:

• Call light systems are perceived as crucial for patient safety in nursing facilities.
• Existing call light systems present usability gaps between staff needs and system design.
• A survey was developed to explore nursing home staff experiences with call light technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nursing home staff experiences with call light technology.
• To identify usability gaps in current call light systems.
• To understand the impact of call light system design on staff performance and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A survey instrument was distributed to 278 staff members in two Up-State New York nursing facilities.
• Pearson correlation and analysis of variance were used to measure relationships between variables.
• The study examined the perceived effect of the call light system on work system elements, processes, and staff outcomes.

Main Results:

• Correlations found between job workload and unit noise (r=0.272), workload and ease of locating call lights (r=0.154), and job stress and burnout (r=0.176).
• Only 64% of staff felt the call light system reflected urgent needs; younger staff were more aligned with this.
• 74% of staff associated a high work environment score with excessive call light alarm noise, indicating usability issues stemming from a lack of user feedback in design.

Conclusions:

• The type of call light system is linked to usability challenges that hinder staff response times to residents.
• Insights gained can inform the selection of new call light systems, avoiding identified usability issues.
• Incorporating end-user feedback into the design and acquisition process is crucial for improving call light system usability and staff satisfaction.