Benefits to Using Two-way Radios in Nursing Homes

Benefits to Using Two-way Radios in Nursing Homes

Two-way radios are commonly used in nursing homes and hospital settings because of the many advantages they offer. Using two-way radios can improve response times when tending to patients. This reduces resident wait time and improves the level of care a facility offers. In some cases, this can even be lifesaving.

Thanks to multiple channels, everyone working within the facility – from nurses to care-aids and administrators – can be assigned their own appropriate channel to communicate across. This helps simplify things and keep the right people in contact at all times.

Who Uses Two-Way Radios in Nursing Homes?

Your entire team will benefit from the use of two-way radios. Here’s a look at some of the key players who can make good use of the powerhouse communication platform.

Nursing Staff: Using two-way radios keeps the entire nursing staff in constant contact and allows other personnel to call for a nurse when they are needed. This allows you to offer faster response times to patient demands and needs. Nursing teams can quickly learn how to utilize two-way radios to efficiently respond to emergencies, while working as a team to take the best possible care of patients.

Security: The ability for security to seamlessly connect with everyone on staff helps keep the entire facility safer. It allows you to keep better tabs on patients, as well as who is coming and going each day.

Housekeeping Staff: Housekeepers work throughout the facility taking care of many different tasks each day. If an accident occurs or immediate housekeeping is necessary, it’s very easy to locate housekeepers on the clock and call them to the area they are needed. This capability reduces downtime and lost productivity while keeping everyone on task.

Maintenance Team: Similarly to housekeeping, the maintenance team is busy working on different tasks each day. If an emergency arises, two-way radios make it incredibly easy to get in touch with the right individuals and get the problem fixed as soon as possible.

Evacuations: In the event of an emergency that requires an evacuation, two-way radios make the process so much easier.

Common Questions About Two-Way Radios in Nursing Homes

Do they violate HIPPA Regulations?

No, as long as the people using them do not use patient names when communicating across the platform.

Do they create any violations regarding noise ordinances?

While many States have noise ordinances in place for nursing homes, two-way radios help to protect these regulations because they offer a quiet and non-distracting way to communicate on the job.

How should Staff wear a two-way radio?

There are different ways to attach a two-way radio onto your person, including an assortment of accessories that make it easy to access as needed. They can also be kept tucked in a smock or the pocket of scrubs.

The Best Two-Way Radios for Nursing Homes

There are a lot of different two-way radios to pick from on the market, and so how do you know which one will work best for your needs? When it comes to finding the best two-way radios for nursing homes and other hospital settings, the key is to find a lightweight radio that can handle being dropped or tossed around. Larger facilities may require radios with a repeater capability.

Some options include:

The Motorola SL300

The Motorola SL-7550 UHF

The Kenwood PKT-23k

The Kenwood NX-320

Want personalized help finding the right radios for your nursing home or other medical setting? Contact the pros at Highland Wireless today! We are more than happy to assist.