Tips For Moving To Smart IV Pumps In Your Medical Practice
Posted on: 3 January 2019
In the last few years, smart IV pump systems have come onto the market and are quickly replacing general-purpose IV pumps in medical practices all over the country. Medical offices are quickly flocking to new smart infusion systems because they are much safer for patients. This added safety is provided by a dose error system built into them. The dose error system is able to catch errors before medication reaches the patient.
If your medical practice has been using traditional IV pumps and has decided to move to smart pumps, these tips will help you successfully do so:
Tip: Work with Your Information Technology Provider to Ensure Your Wireless Network will Communicate with the Smart Pumps
Smart IV pump systems require wireless access to a file server onsite at your location. Before you hold training sessions to familiarize your staff with the new pumps, consult with your IT provider and verify the server and the pumps are talking to each other as required.
If you try to implement your new smart IV pumps and your wireless network won't cooperate, then your staff will become frustrated and likely blame the pumps. Since this negative opinion is likely to linger around, it is best to proactively avoid it.
Tip: Promote the Patient Safety and Ease of Use Aspects of the Smart Pumps to Your Staff
It is human nature to balk at change. When you tell your staff about the new pumps, it is likely at least a few people will dread the change. However, you can head off the complaints by pointing out that smart IV pumps are easier for your staff to use once they become familiar with them. Additionally, through the use of custom drug libraries, the smart pumps are programmed to infuse a specific amount of medication over a specific period of time. This greatly increases patient safety.
Tip: Allow Your Staff Plenty of Training Time Away from Patients
No one wants to look like they can't do their job in front of patients. If you ask your staff to take a quick training course or read a users manual for the new smart IV pumps and then learn how to use them with on-the-job training, you are inadvertently making your staff look like they don't know what they are doing in front of their patients. Since the patients are already apprehensive about obtaining medical services, this can really create problems. Thankfully, this issue can be completely avoided by offering your staff plenty of training and experience with the new pumps away from the prying eyes of your patients.
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