The Heartbeat of Healthcare: Cabling for Nurse Call Systems

Can transforming nurse call systems truly revolutionize patient care and elevate healthcare efficiency? Discover how these systems have evolved from simple alert mechanisms to sophisticated communication networks, benefiting both patients and medical professionals. You'll learn about the diverse notification methods that ensure swift responses and examine the cutting-edge components that make these systems indispensable in modern healthcare settings. Our discussion highlights how nurse call systems are enhancing the workload management for nursing staff and improving overall patient safety.

Explore the untapped potential for low-voltage contractors in the burgeoning field of nurse call system installation. As healthcare facilities embrace advanced technologies, the demand for skilled professionals to design, install, and maintain these systems is skyrocketing. Specializing in nurse call cabling and equipment not only offers a lucrative business opportunity but also allows you to make a tangible difference in healthcare delivery. We invite you to listen, learn, and consider this rewarding path that blends technology with compassion and innovation.

Chapters

• 0:00 Nurse Call Cabling and Equipment
• 11:33 Advanced Nurse Call Systems and Components
• 21:51 Expanding Opportunities in Nurse Call

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey Wiremonkeys, welcome to another episode of let's Talk Cabling. This episode we're talking about nurse call cabling and equipment. Welcome to the show where we tackle the tough questions submitted by installers, technicians, project managers, estimators, customers, even IT personnel. We are connecting at the human level so that we can connect the world. If you're watching this show on YouTube, would you mind hitting the subscribe button and the bell button to be notified when new content is being produced? Also, if you like audio podcast platforms, you can catch us on Stitcher and Amazon all those audio podcast platforms. Also, every Wednesday night, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time, I do a live Q&A session where you get to ask your favorite RCDD your questions on installation, design, certification, estimation, even project management. But I can hear you now, but, chuck, I'm driving my truck at 6 pm on Wednesdays. I don't want to get into an accident. It's okay, relax, I record them and you can watch them at your convenience. And finally, while this show is free and will always remain free, if you find value in this content, would you click on that QR code right there? You can buy me a cup of coffee. You can schedule a 15-minute one-on-one call with me after hours, of course, where you get to ask me anything you want on installation, design, certification and even career path questions. Hello everybody and welcome to today's episode.

Speaker 1: 1:37

I was kind of excited to really talk about today's topic. Today we're going to dive deep into a topic that's incredibly important but yet it's often overlooked. We're talking about nurse call systems. Now, these systems are a critical component in healthcare facilities and they play a massive role in patient care. I've done a few nurse call cabling installs, but not enough to be an expert. So I referred to my 15th edition TDMM to help create the outline for today's show. So you might be wondering what exactly is a nurse call system? To put it quite simply, it's basically just a communication line that's going to let the patient get the help when they need it, usually through the push of a button. But over time these systems have really evolved way beyond just a simple button. You know, when I had my kidney stones removed, I got a chance to play with these things and see how they work from a patient's perspective, and let me tell you they're pretty critical. You really want to make sure that you do this Now. They're capable of much more than just soliciting help.

Speaker 1: 2:47

In today's healthcare settings, nurse call systems aren't just about contacting the nurses anymore, although my nurses probably got tired of me contacting them because I was thirsty, I needed water. I drink a lot of water, yeah, I do, but anyways. They're also used to notify various members of the health care team. They might notify the doctor, they might notify the special care nurses, they might even notify the cleaning crew in case you have, like, an accident in the bathroom Don't ask me how I know that one or if you're hungry, they might notify the nutrition staff. They can even notify specialized care providers if it's needed.

Speaker 1: 3:25

And with all these diverse functions, the way that a nurse call system notifies staff has also expanded, like anything else. With computers, everything is growing and this is a great place to be in the low-voltage industry. We now have not just audio, but we have tones, we have lights, we have voice messages, even the ability to send text alerts and even listen to this, combining all of those to ensure that that message gets through clearly, efficiently and quickly. Because when you're in a lot of pain, like I was when I was getting my kidney stones removed, you want relief immediately. Now, if you are a low-voltage contractor, why should you care about nurse call systems?

Speaker 1: 4:11

Well, nurse call cabling and installation are becoming a very exciting specialty within our industry. A lot of people like to focus on the PoE and the fiber, but you know what? There's always going to be hospitals. There's always going to be hospitals. There's always going to be patients. There's going to be a huge well, not going to be. There is a huge demand for contractors who not only know how to design but also install and listen to this, maintain those systems. Talk about recurring revenues. There you go, especially as they become more sophisticated and become so sophisticated that the nurses and the hospital staff don't know how to maintain them. That's an opportunity for you, For contractors already working in low voltage. Adding nurse call cabling system expertise to your skill set is going to open up doors and new opportunities within health care facilities. Yes, health care facilities. They also need voice and data and computer, so this might be the opportunity to do additional work for them, which, in a hospital, they're always in need of these critical systems. Not only are you expanding your business, but you're also making a meaningful impact on patient safety and staff efficiency. You're going to make the nurses and the doctors happy because you're making their job easier with the installation of these systems. So why not get into this and start talking about it?

Speaker 1: 5:40

The first thing I want to talk about is the expanding roles of nurse call systems. Let's start by looking at how nurse call systems have evolved over the years. Initially, these systems were basically just designed for one purpose to give patients a simple way to call for help. Usually, though, the button was connected to a central station where the nurses could be alerted. The button was connected to a central station where the nurses could be alerted. Now, this basic functionality was, of course, essential, but is it anything? In the health care system? It grew. I mean, look at all the stuff that we do now Telemedicine. They're operating by the internet.

Speaker 1: 6:18

The hospital area is not immune to the advances in technology that everybody else does, all the other industries are having. Why not take this opportunity and grow with it? Because as a hospital grows, the nurse call system started to take on new roles and they become even more critical. System started to take on new roles and they become even more critical. Today's nurse call systems are integrated with broader communication networks within the hospital. So, for example, they can connect paging systems. They can connect telephone systems. They can even relay high priority alerts like code calls or something that's going to be a life or death situation. Some nurse call systems even allow direct connections to medical equipment, which means if a patient's vital signs change suddenly, an alert can go directly to the nurse's station without any kind of manual intervention. I found this out firsthand because my vitals took a dive and the nurses came to see what was going on. I didn't have to touch anything and that was all because of the nurse call cabling. This kind of instant notification can make a real difference, especially in a busy facilities where every second counts. My daughter's a nurse and she's told me that over since she's become a nurse over 15 years ago, about how there's less and less nurses putting more loads on them.

Speaker 1: 7:38

We're seeing a big shift. We're seeing that most nurse call systems are now being integrated into IP-based platform systems, which makes perfect sense, which allows the nurses to do more with less nurses, which makes the hospital financial staff happy. Why does that matter? Well, by moving it to IP, these systems can integrate much more easily than other IP-based systems in healthcare facilities. And since we're already putting in the network, we're putting in VoIP systems. We're already familiar with IP.

Speaker 1: 8:09

This is just another system, just like the phones and the computers. This shift makes it easier to scale the system and add new features, and for low-volume contractors, it means that if you have networking skills, which many of us do, you can apply them directly to a nurse call system. Just think about how many customers call you because they want to have a new phone extension or they want new features put on that phone extension. Same thing, but we're talking about nurse call cabling. It's a great avenue generator for a company, so not only is it more efficient, but it's also opening up the new possibilities in terms of what these systems can do, which is going to create more opportunities for you as a technician, more opportunities for you as a low-voltage contractor, whether you're small or large.

Speaker 2: 8:59

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Speaker 1: 9:40

Now let's get into the different types of nurse call systems out there, because they're not all the same. You know, just like anything else, you can buy a simple analog phone line, or you can have a small little, you know KSU, or you can have a large PBX. Nurse call systems are the same. Generally, though, nurse call systems are going to be categorized based on the type of communications that they support. Broadly speaking, there are two types of systems tone or visual nurse call systems, and audiovisual or AV nurse call systems. Let's start off with the tone or visual nurse call system. This system is designed for simplicity. Maybe this might be where you want to start out to get your feet wet. It relies basically on sound or some type of a light signal to alert the staff that hey, there's an issue, and it makes it ideal for areas where the patients are under constant observation. And since they're simple, like I said, it's a great way to start off instead of getting into the more complex systems. For instance, in an intensive care unit or recovery rooms, staff are usually monitoring patients pretty closely, usually monitoring them every hour, every half hour, every 15 minutes. So a sophisticated communication system isn't always necessary, but any issues can be visually detected and the staff nearby are going to be able to respond quickly. And, trust me, your patients are going to be pretty happy that they are responding quickly, especially if they're in pain, and it's also going to be a relief to the families in the rooms with them watching their loved one suffer through these events. These types of tones or visual systems work by using flashing corridor lights or maybe even alert tones to direct staff toward the area where the attention is needed. Again, this will help the nurses to quickly identify where they need to go. Now imagine if you're a contractor installing these in a supervised care facility. You set up the lights and the tones to guide the staff to specific rooms or areas. Even though they're relatively straightforward, these systems still play a very critical role, especially in the areas where there's constant supervision.

Speaker 1: 11:52

Then we have the audiovisual or AV nurse call systems, which take things a step further by adding voice communications. With an AV system, you see, this way the staff can talk directly to the patient remotely, and that's going to save time, especially as there are fewer and fewer nurses. They don't have to span larger floors, so they're going to be able to talk to that patient remotely, and that's going to be very critical for that efficient care. These types of systems, though, allow health care providers to monitor patients from a distance and check in with them without needing to physically enter into the room. That's going to make them more efficient. Like I said, I had many conversations with my nurses when I had my kidney stones, and this is especially useful in large hospitals where the staff may be stretched thin, and that even applies to small hospitals too. You see, av nurse call systems are more commonly used in almost all areas of hospitals, especially as they provide an interactive layer of communications. They offer tones and flashing lights and other visual systems, but they also allow for live or pre-recorded messages, so that way, if patients keep asking similar types of questions over, they can have canned responses ready. Some advanced AV systems even come with graphical interfaces, which shows the layout of the patient room, so that way they can track the alerts. They can even log historical data. Picture a computer monitor that shows a floor plan and, with each room, a patient call status displayed in real time. For large facilities with hundreds of beds, this is going to be a feature that's going to be invaluable for nursing managers and operational staff, because it allows them to see trends and manage workloads and make adjustments. So imagine, as a contractor you're setting up a system that gives nursing staff not only the immediate notifications but also the ability to review that historical data and plan care strategies. That's powerful information that a hospital desires.

Speaker 1: 13:55

So now that we understand why, let's talk about some of the key components of a nurse call system. What exactly makes up a nurse call system? Let's break it down into its components. Most nurse call systems, whether they're going to be the basic tone and visual systems or maybe even one of the more advanced AV systems, they share a few standard components, each with their own specific functions. So you need to understand these functions. So again, as you start migrating into different areas, you know what to look at.

Speaker 1: 14:29

The three main categories are going to be initiation devices, head-end equipment and notification devices. Let's go into the initiation devices first. These are what the patient or staff member uses to start the call. Some of the common examples are going to be bedside stations, which might even connect to pillow speakers. A pillow speaker is basically just a small device that the patient can hold for assistance with just the push of a button, and then it sits right there next to the pillow, hence the reason they call it a pillow button. Then there's the bathroom station, a pool cord device installed near the toilets or the showers so the patient can easily signal for help if they need it. This feature is especially important for patients with limited mobility. I have a family member who just had hip surgery and this was very critical for them. Even when a small slip could require immediate assistance.

Speaker 1: 15:27

Some of the facilities are starting to use automatic call activation devices. These are intelligent systems that don't need human intervention to place that call. So, for example, motion sensors that can detect if a patient falls out of their bed or if their movements change significantly. You see why they needed to track that historical data, such as maybe a change in their gait or even a higher frequency of getting up at night. These automated devices can help keep a watchful eye on patients, requiring manual activation, which is particularly useful in larger facilities, again, where the staff can't be everywhere.

Speaker 1: 16:04

The next is the head end equipment. Think of this as the brains of the nurse call system. This equipment processes and routes the signals from the initiation devices to the appropriate notification devices. A traditional system might use a balanced source-to-pair cabling system and connecting blocks in the telecommunications distribution room, or the TDR. That's what they call a telecom room in hospitals, and that's going to house all of the essential infrastructure In an IP-based system. The TDR might look more like a typical data network, complete with patch panels, patch cords, even horizontal cabling. It's also essential for nurse call systems to be electrically isolated from all the other systems in the facility to ensure there's reliability and compliance with not just the code, not just the standards, but the health care standards.

Speaker 1: 17:02

And then, finally, we have the notification devices. These are the devices that the staff will use to receive the alerts. For example, the master station at the nurse's desk is often a touchscreen or computer-based interface showing all active calls. It shows their status and the option to respond directly. And in addition, there might even be mini master stations. If you've got large floors divided up into subsets, you might even have duty stations. These are smaller alcoves for secondary monitoring. So corridor lights and zone lights are used in the hallways to guide the staff towards the specific room that has initiated that alert. You see, zone lights are especially helpful in units where there's multiple corridors, as they summarize multiple room statuses and sound an alarm if there's an issue in any one of those rooms.

Speaker 2: 17:55

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Speaker 1: 19:07

And then, finally, the last section. We can't talk about nurse call cabling without talking about wireless operations and the importance of standards. Another trend that's changing the game in nurse call cabling is the use of wireless technology. Wireless nurse call systems add a lot of flexibility, especially for older facilities where running new cabling may not be an option because of firewalls or they might be historical landmarks. These systems offer features like hands-free communication, asset tracking, patient and staff locating and real-time monitoring, all without the limitations of physical cabling, although you and I both know there's going to be cabling to somewhere, for example, like access points.

Speaker 1: 19:54

But it's essential to remember that, with all of these new technologies, nurse call systems still meet strict codes and standards. One of the biggest ones that you really want to pay attention to is Underwriters Laboratories 1069. It is a key standard in this industry. It's going to set the minimum requirements for hospital signaling and nurse call equipment. Why is this important? Because health care facilities have very specific needs in meeting these standards and to ensure reliability and safety. For contractors to understand these requirements, it isn't optional, it is a must. It is a must, it is a. Shall you really need to follow that standard? By following the standards. You're helping to provide a system that performs consistently and reliably, which is critical for patient safety. So, if you're thinking about getting into nurse call cabling and installation, make sure that you familiarize yourself with the NEC, the UL standard that we talked about, and also look up the ANSI healthcare standards. They're not just about running cables or installing devices. It's all about ensuring that every part of the system functions as it should, especially in emergencies, when it's going to be critical that everything works the correct way.

Speaker 1: 21:13

Healthcare facilities are places where lives are literally on the line, and that makes the role of the contractor all the more significant. You want to be a lifesaver. Start doing nurse call cabling. So, as we wrap up this episode, let's kind of recap Nurse call cabling are more than just another cabling job.

Speaker 1: 21:34

They're going to be essential tools for healthcare providers. They're going to allow the patients to communicate directly with the care teams, they're going to allow them to connect staff across various departments, and they're going to ensure that everybody is in the loop, especially when it matters the most. For low-volume contractors, specializing in nurse call systems is not only a way to expand your business, but also a chance to contribute to a field where your work can really make a difference. So if you're interested in a career that combines technology with impact, consider adding NurseCall system installation to your portfolio. It's a growing field with lots of opportunities, especially as healthcare continues to evolve with new technologies. And thanks for joining us and remember every device that you install, every cable that you run, every alert that you help create can make a difference in somebody's life.

Speaker 3: 22:43

Until next time, everybody remember knowledge is power. Also leave a rating so we can help even more people learn about telecommunications. Until next time, be safe.