Baptist Health Paducah adds new technology to improve patient and nurse safety
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
PADUCAH, Ky., (KBSI) — Baptist Health Paducah has introduced new technology designed to make repositioning patients in hospital beds safer and easier for nursing staff.
The hospital received 185 Hercules Patient Repositioners through a donation from Baptist Health Foundation Paducah.
The devices will be installed on inpatient beds in the intensive care unit, orthopedic and neurological unit, medical-surgical and postoperative unit, telemetry unit and overflow telemetry and medical unit.
The Hercules Patient Repositioner attaches to existing hospital beds and uses a conveyor-like system to move patients higher in bed with the push of a button.
The technology allows one caregiver to reposition a patient, a task that typically requires two or three staff members.
“My goal is to reduce the burden for the bedside staff,” said Marilyn Riley, vice president and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Paducah. “This device enables one staff member to do the job of two to three to boost the patient up in bed.”
According to the hospital, patients may need to be repositioned 10 or more times a day. Traditional methods, including slide sheets and lifts, can increase the risk of injuries among caregivers.
Riley said nurses can spend more than an hour per shift manually repositioning patients.
“I am truly grateful for the generosity of the Baptist Health Foundation Paducah in supporting our efforts to bring this innovative technology to the bedside for our clinicians,” Riley said. “Nurses spend upwards of an hour per shift manually boosting a patient up in bed. This innovation in repositioning will be a huge time saver for our staff.”
The hospital said the technology is also designed to improve patient comfort by reducing pulling, tugging and friction during repositioning.
Studies conducted by The Morel Company found that health care organizations using the devices reported improvements in patient comfort, staff satisfaction and nurse retention, according to the hospital.
“Safety is our priority. The Hercules Repositioner will eliminate the need for pulling and tugging, greatly reducing the physical burden for our staff while eliminating friction and sheer potential for our patients,” Riley said.
Shannon Livingston, director of Baptist Health Foundation Paducah, said the donation reflects the impact of community support.
“Seeing the difference the Hercules Patient Repositioning technology makes in both the clinician and patient experience is powerful; knowing it was the generosity of donors that made it possible is truly inspiring,” Livingston said.
For more information about Baptist Health Paducah, visit baptisthealth.com.
