TMC: A Nurse’s Perspective

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Moving to the new hospital was a highly-anticipated event for nurses at Texoma Medical Center. Led by Chief Nursing Officer Jan Johnson, TMC’s team of four-hundred-plus nurses began preparing for the transition months in advance. Although the staff was excited at the prospect of a new facility, the impact that a much larger facility, with greater patient volumes, would have on the delivery of nursing care was top of mind for the nursing staff.

When comparing the size and layout between the two hospitals, the inpatient care areas are considerably different. In general, patient wards at the old facility were a moderate size. At the new facility, some of the inpatient areas more than doubled in bed capacity. The Intensive Care Unit alone increased from twenty-two to thirty-two beds. To put it into perspective, each nursing unit is essentially the size of a football field.

While the added square footage might intimidate even the most seasoned nurse, architects from HKS, Inc., along with TMC management and nursing teams, worked to devise floor-plans that maximized workflow. By distributing necessities such as supply and linen rooms throughout the units and providing corridor shortcuts, nurses now find workflow has actually improved in the new hospital. A significant advantage is the strategically placed charting alcoves near the patient rooms, which enable nurses and other caregivers to quickly document care. At old TMC, nurses had to return to a central nurse’s station, usually located at one end of a hall, to obtain work-related necessities. Now, despite the added dimensions, operations are decentralized throughout the units, making workflow more functional, efficient and organized.

For caregiver communication, technology is the nurse’s friend. A sophisticated patient call system has features that allow patients to better convey their requests to the nurse. The nurse-call hand-held device has message options. The patient can press either a general request button or need-specific button for pain medication, water or toileting requirements. The call system has specific tones to alert the staff. Long gone are the days of the “call bell.” When life-threatening emergencies occur, nurses have only to press a nearby button to activate the hospital’s emergency response team.

Nurses also employ the use of Vocera®, a hands-free wireless communication device. The device is worn on the nurse’s lapel. A nurse has only to press a button on the device, state the name of another Vocera user, and the two caregivers can immediately exchange information. Vocera is valued throughout the facility as a rapid and effective means of caregiver to caregiver communication. And when nurses need to communicate private or sensitive information, a new sophisticated telephone system is available throughout the hospital.

While the new facility affords advanced technologies and the design adds value to nursing workflow and promotes patient comfort, there is no substitute for competent, compassionate nursing care. Bottom line: our patients and guests can still rely upon the same quality nursing excellence they’ve come to expect from TMC.

by Belinda Wagner, RN
Director of 4th & 6th Floor Patient Care
Texoma Medical Center
Denison, Texas