Did the title catch your attention? The Boy Who Cried Wolf, one of Aesop’s Fables, is a story that is familiar to many. The tale tells of a shepherd boy who repeatedly tricks nearby villagers into thinking wolves are attacking his flock. When a wolf appears and the boy once again calls for help, the villagers believe it is another false alarm and refuse to help him. But as we all know, this was not another false alarm, and the sheep are unfortunately eaten by the wolf. Does this scenario sound all too familiar in your workplace? Are members of your staff becoming de-sensitized and non-responsive to system alarms? This type of situation is exactly one that The Joint Commission is highly interested in preventing. To reduce alarm fatigue when it comes to the Hugs Patient Security System (often used in both the OB and Peds departments), the following “how-to” points can be put into action today!
A Proper Start
Staff that is confident and comfortable using the Hugs Patient Security System understands proper tag application is key to patient security and parental satisfaction (HCCAP). The Hugs tag should be applied so that it “wiggles but does not rotate” on the patient’s ankle or wrist. Maintaining a light but consistent contact between the back of the tag and the patient’s skin is what makes the Baby Sense feature effective.
What is Baby Sense? The Baby Sense feature notifies you when the Hugs tag is not secure on the infant due to being attached too loosely or loose fit due to weight loss. The back of the Hugs tag is black and, when combined with the standard Hugs strap, detects the baby's skin. If the tag is too loose, it sends a message to the Hugs system software. If the tag is not securely attached to the infant, an event notice appears in the Hugs system software. The event notification clears automatically when the tag is tightened and only escalates into an alarm if no action is taken.
Share the Task
Make a regular investment in educating the parents or caregivers. Allow them to be part of the plan to protect their loved ones. They should be aware that doors and elevators are protected and need to be avoided when the patient is in their care. They should also be informed that attempting to make “adjustments” to loosen the security tag can set off a tamper alarm which typically locks down the entire department.
Inspect the Progress
Babies can lose as much as ten percent of their body weight during the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours of life. Because of this, it is necessary to ensure that staff understands the need to make a regular inspection of the tag’s fit during the infant’s stay. At least once per shift, the tag should be assessed with a “hands on” check of the fit. Anytime a tag is loose, it can be tightened without needing permission from the computer. A pediatric patient may experience weight loss or gain and should also be checked on a regular basis.
Be Proactive in Problem Solving
When a tamper alarm occurs because a caregiver or pediatric patient has attempted to loosen or remove the Hugs tag, staff should take immediate action to verify the patient’s safety. The best practice is to verify that everyone is safe, clear the tamper alarm, and change the Hugs band. Changing the band immediately ensures any damage that may have been caused will not trigger a reoccurrence of the tamper alarm.
Provide Ongoing Staff Education
Regular training to refresh staff on the use of Hugs tags is helpful not only for seasoned veterans of your department but also extremely important for new members of staff.
Contact us today for a pass code to access the training section on our website.
