Do you know of anything to assist with protecting nursing staff from violent residents, visitors or fellow staff members?
During a recent hospitalization, I noted that on all of the nurses’ name badges (along with any Daisy pins if they had won the Daisy award) there was this white 1-inch-square cube of plastic. I asked one of the nurses what this was and she said the gizmo makes her feel so secure. If she is being attacked or having trouble with a patient or their family, she can push this alert and it will send a notice to everyone with a phone on this floor and let them know help is needed.
She said she knew nine nurses on her floor who had used it since January. I was struck by this, thinking finally someone is protecting us nurses! I looked it up and learned it’s called Strongline.
“Violence against healthcare workers is a national crisis,” according to strongline.com. Of 5,000 nurses it surveyed, 76% said they experienced violence during the prior year. If the nurse gets moved or is moving and still experiencing trouble, the alert works with them by moving in real time. It notifies security and makes nurses feel safer than in the past as a lifeline. As long as there is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth or electricity, it works. It is accessible 24/7. (Note: I do not have any financial stake in Strongline. I’m just a fan.)
Over my many years as a nurse, I have been bitten, scratched, kicked and punched, and not only by residents but by family and visitors as well. It is reassuring to know that those working the front lines (which are difficult enough without any added violence) now may have a tool that allows them to successfully treat their patients without fearing that the next move by a resident or their family may be the one that takes away their ability to work.
From the November 2020 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
