Telesitter
Many of our patients need observation during their hospitalization to prevent them from unintentionally harming themselves by pulling at their tubes or lines, falling, or other actions.
Telesitter technology eliminates the need for one-on-one, in-room sitters. At some UPMC hospitals, trained telesitters watch patients from a centralized monitoring station using mobile cameras. A communication mechanism is in place to notify bedside staff when a patient needs immediate attention. A pilot program was implemented at UPMC Presbyterian in December 2016, followed by program implementation at UPMC Shadyside and UPMC Passavant. UPMC Susquehanna and UPMC Pinnacle began using telesitter technology prior to joining UPMC. The next facilities for implementation are UPMC Mercy and UPMC Hamot.
IV Pump Integration
UPMC Center for Nursing Excellence is at the forefront of the health care industry in using intravenous (IV) pump integration. IV pump integration is an asset to nurses as it improves patient safety by eliminating manual keystrokes for the synchronization of infusion rates and doses that are administered to patients. Bi-directional communication between the eRecord and the IV pump now takes place electronically. Through barcode scanning at the pump, the electronic health record is updated without manual keystrokes. This double-checks that the right medication goes to the right patient at the right time, using the right route of delivery, and then is notated in the medical records after the barcode scanning.
In 2018, IV pump integration with the electronic health record was achieved at the following sites:
- UPMC East
- UPMC Passavant
- UPMC Presbyterian
- UPMC Shadyside
In 2019, IV pump integration with the electronic health record was achieved at:
- UPMC Chautauqua
- UPMC Magee
Also in 2019, IV pump integration with the electronic health record will be achieved at:
- UPMC Mercy
- UPMC Hamot
- UPMC Susquehanna, including: Williamsport, Divine, Muncy, Lock Haven, Soldiers & Sailors, and Sunbury
Implementation will take several years but will complement nurse workflows and maximize patients’ safety. Bedside nurses play an important role in the design and planning since it impacts their work and how they care for patients.
Human Milk Management
In 2019, Human Milk Management was implemented at UPMC Magee. This technology uses positive patient identification (barcode scanning) to receive, store, fortify and administer human breastmilk in Women’s Health and NICU inpatient settings.
UPMC Hamot, Horizon, Northwest and Altoona will implement this application in 2019
Nursing Research
Across UPMC, nurses are positively influencing patient outcomes, their professional practice and their work environment with nurse-driven research projects. These creative initiatives are powerful examples of nursing excellence and collaboration using evidence-based practice to make an impact in health care for our patients and communities. “Improving Registered Nurses Pain Management and Knowledge and Attitude” at UPMC East; “Impact of a Post Extubation Process on Critical Care Patients in a Community Hospital” by UPMC McKeesport; “Self-Care by Nurses in the PICU” at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh are a small sampling of the best-practice projects being driven by UPMC nurses.
