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The Nationwide Nursing Shortage: A Public Health Crisis It’s no secret that nurses are in higher demand now than ever before. The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of 200,000- 450,000 nurses with acute care settings likely being the most affected(1). The average hospital spends over $8.5M per year recruiting nurse talent2 yet despite this investment the nurse turnover rate continues to skyrocket. A study conducted by ANM Healthcare found over 36% of nurses are seeking to leave their position within the next year(3) while the current national nurse turnover average is 22.5%4.
Understanding what is leading to this shortage has been the topic of numerous studies. Forbes reported that in a poll of 1000 nurses, 65% of nurses stated insufficient staffing to be one of the biggest frustrations with the nursing industry, with around 50% of nurses reporting: 1) they see patients suffer because nurses have too much on their plates, 2) they feel guilty about taking any breaks (including bathroom breaks), 3) they wish they had a full time (or any time) for lunch, and 4) they think their employers are not doing enough about the nurse staffing shortage and overwork problem(5). Nurses have reported wanting to spend more time “providing direct patient care and creating personal connections with patients”(1) rather than on other less essential or mundane tasks. Understanding Nurse Time and Effort In 2023, McKinsey reported interviewing over 300 nurses to find ways to save time to improve the nurse workplace shortage(1). They concluded that a potential net time savings of 15-30% of a 12-hour shift, was possible through either delegation of nursing tasks or tech enablement. Breaking these time savings on a 12-hour shift, delegation of tasks could reduce nurse time by 5-10%, and tech enablement could reduce nurse time by 10-20%. 45% of the delegated tasks mentioned in the report included administration and preparation of medication, assisting in transport and holding of patients, and patient transport itself. 33% of tech enablement tasks mentioned in the report included medication administration, nursing handoff, and patient turning. The tasks mentioned in both of these percentages heavily depend on effective cord management techniques for efficient and safe execution. The report suggested that a “15 percent net time savings...could translate to closing the nursing workforce gap by up to 300,000 inpatient nurses,” showing the significant impact of nurse time savings on the required nursing workforce size. Of course, such a reduction would require health systems to invest in the right “technology, change management, and workflow redesign.” Similar to this study and shortly following the onset of COVID, Nursetech’s two co-founders, a medical roboticist and an ICU nurse, interviewed over 200 nurses, nurse decision makers, and other key nurse stakeholders to better understand time shortages and overwork issues faced by nurses. They found that ICU nurses specifically can spend as much as 2 hours per shift organizing tubes, lines, and cables during cord management tasks. ICU nurses know this struggle well as ICU patients have an average of 9.6 lines or as many as 18 lines at a time(6). The issue of cord management, organizing and detangling medical lines and cables, was brought up time and time again unprompted by nurses when asked what takes up their work time. Outcomes from Poor Cord Management The jumble of cords often seen in the ICU, sometimes referred to as “infusion confusion” or “spaghetti lines”, can lead to a host of unwanted outcomes. These include entangled infusion lines during patient transfers causing significant detangling time and a decrease of nurse attention to more important patient care matters, infusion mix-up errors, higher patient fall risks, higher likelihood of line pullouts, and various other negative factors including increased nurse frustration(7,8). These factors have led to considerable patient harm and even death in various cases(9). Additionally, a conservative estimate of $1B of nursing time is spent yearly in the U.S. just on cord management tasks, the large majority taking place in the ICU where many more vital medical lines are attached to each patient. Patients and nurses alike have many stories about poor line experiences. For example, several have expressed incidents such as seeing vital patient lines get caught and ripped from a patient during transfer leading to patient death, or seeing a grandmother trip and fall due to medical lines after visiting a NICU to hold her grandchild. Incidents such as these can lead to very expensive and unwanted litigation for hospitals. Poor cord management already costs $266M in the U.S. yearly from replacing vascular access devices due to inadvertent line pull-outs and compromised catheters. This cost comes from the 19M lines inadvertently pulled from patients yearly(10). In some cases, nurses spend more time on mundane cord management tasks than on the larger vital task itself. For example, this is particularly evident in early patient ambulation tasks. Early ambulation has been shown to improve patient outcomes, including reduced hospital length of stay and patient readmissions, reduced incidence of pressure sores, decreased delirium, less muscle atrophy, decreased patient time on ventilation and significant hospital savings of up to $3.7M per year(6, 11-13). Nurses were found to spend 61.4% of total patient mobility time organizing and detangling cables6 meaning more time is spent organizing cables than on the actual early mobility itself. Similar outcomes have also been seen in various other patient transfer activities to and from the ICU, such as patient imaging(8). With 67% of nurses reporting they “never” or “rarely” get mechanically ventilated patients up out of bed(14), adopting technology to improve the patient ambulation experience and save time for nurses could prove to have very significant effects on patient outcomes. Improved cord management technology could also help reduce other reported barriers to early patient mobility such as influencing hospital-associated factors like inadequate staffing for safe ambulation and lack of appropriate equipment(14,15). Attempted Solutions to Cord Management Burden In hospitals today, nurses often see and implement jimmy-rigged solutions to mitigate the cord management problem they face daily. This is often seen as tongue depressors taped upright to hospital bed rails to guide lines attached to ICU patients. This less-than-effective attempt at a solution has largely been the industry standard implemented by time-stricken nurses, and has only very marginally helped with cord management and organization issues. Previous studies have demonstrated various time-saving benefits of using novel cord management devices, including during nurse ambulation and in line tracing tasks7,16. Cord management devices have also been shown to reduce medical line administration errors, a serious and costly concern in hospitals today. A common practice to increase patient safety in the intensive care unit, aside from ambulation, is to ensure each medication infusion is accounted for and infusion through an appropriate port at the start of a nurse’s shift. In one study, nurses identified infusions with significantly fewer errors when they used line organization devices than without(7). A variety of small adhesives, labels, and partner attachment products have been manufactured to attempt to address this issue, however have been widely unsuccessful and not gained widespread adoption. Two devices have recently gained the most traction recently for successful adoption on the market. These are the Beata Clasp(17) and the Roddy Medical SecureMove-TLC device(18). The Beata clasp is made of a single foam grip and meant to loosely hold onto a bed rail. It has slots for various sized cables and cords, however nurses have complained that the foam material prevents lines from sliding easily when patients move creating unwanted tension on the lines. Additionally, the foam attachment does not attach onto very many devices limiting mobility. The SecureMove-TLC device is a patient armband that incorporates a Velcro strap and soft rubber separators to securely hold a variety of patient lines. The product boasts high holding strengths for lines which aid in preventing line pulls, however patients may not wish to wear secure arm bands for the duration of their hospital stay as it can lead to sores and patient discomfort. Additionally, the device does not easily attach onto other structures, and lines cannot slide easily once the device is attached. The Cordflex: An Effective Solution for Cord Management The Cordflex device was produced by the Nursetech team to bring a more effective and affordable cord management device directly to the nursing bedside to not only save significant nurse time but help prevent other poor outcomes in difficult cord management environments. The Cordflex is a bedside clip for easier and more effective cord management. It provides a host of improvements to existing cord management devices and solutions. First, Cordflex is extremely mobile. Its spring-loaded clip mechanism can attach to almost any bedside device in the hospital including bed rails, IV poles, walkers, chairs, tabletops, and even patient gowns. It can be opened and reattached to a new structure with just one hand, being extremely intuitive and fast to move. This makes transporting a patient to and from imaging, ambulation, or other locations simple, fast, and painless. The reason mobility features on the Cordflex work so well is due to the variety of custom attachments that are used to secure any medical line. Various attachments for IV lines, suction, or even larger bundling attachments allow various lines to be secured and can even be easily removed and replaced on different sides of the clip as desired by the nurse. Lines are easily organized and kept in clean configurations easy for nurse access. The Cordflex line attachments connect with a supporting extension arm that allows 2 degree-of-freedom rotation with the cables, so the attachments can move with the lines (from patient movement or moving of the Cordflex) and prevent kinking of the lines. They also allow the lines to slide more easily with minimal friction so as not to add a pull-out force on the line during patient shifting. This device can be quickly implemented for organization directly off the shelf. With an affordable price it is used easily as a single-use device, helping to prevent any unwanted infections such as those that may lead to CLABSI. It can be used to organize lines attached directly to patients, to prevent lines from draping onto the floor and hence posing a tripping and fall hazard, or lower the risk being stepped on, caught, or pulled from the patient during transfer. As most nurses know how to use a hair clip or a chip clip, similarly learning how to use the Cordflex for organizing tubes is incredibly simple and fast. Several can be used on multiple sides of a patient for a better hospital experience for both patient and nurse. The Cordflex can reduce time in line organization during cord management tasks by an estimated 33%. This can save an average ICU up to 958 hours per year in nurse time, reducing staff needed and providing more time for staff to focus on patients and improving outcomes. Nurses also reported how much they loved using the Cordflex. In a survey of over 60 ICU nurses, 90% of nurses stated they would use the Cordflex device. 74% surveyed stated they would feel much safer ambulating their patients if they had Cordflex assisting them. The Cordflex device is also undergoing additional on-floor studies in various hospitals and settings to better quantify its benefits for all on the nursing floor. Make a Difference for Your Nurses - Get the Cordflex Today Make a difference for your ICU floors today by taking action to help improve your patient and hospital outcomes with the Cordflex device. Take the first step by purchasing the Cordflex and save nurse time and help prevent against a host of poor outcomes from loose or tangled cords. Please reach out to Nursetech (www.nursetechmedical.com) or your local distributor for purchasing or to discuss the possibility of testing the Cordflex on your floor today! References
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Combatting Nurse Burnout: How Cordflex Can Make a Difference
November is not only a time to reflect on the season of gratitude, but also an important month to raise awareness about nurse burnout and mental health. Research shows that burnout among nurses is alarmingly common, with a 2020 survey revealing that nearly two thirds of nurses (62%) experience burnout, and it is particularly prevalent among younger nurses, with 69% of those under 25 reporting this challenge. With the demanding nature of healthcare environments, understanding the causes of burnout is crucial for providing better support to nurses who are the backbone of patient care. Understanding Nurse Burnout Nurse burnout is a complex issue, driven by many factors. Long shifts, high-stress environments, limited support, inadequate supplies, and poor teamwork all contribute to the emotional and physical exhaustion nurses face. Studies also point to the increased workload and relatively low wages as additional sources of stress, particularly in hospitals where resources are scarce. The constant pressure to deliver care in less-than-ideal conditions can take a toll, resulting in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of accomplishment. The Impact of Nurse Burnout on Patient Care Addressing nurse burnout is not only essential for the well-being of healthcare professionals but also for the quality of patient care. Nurses with lower levels of burnout tend to be more empathetic, supportive, and better able to connect with their patients, which ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes. When nurses are overburdened and stressed, their ability to engage with patients and ensure tasks like fall prevention can diminish, affecting the overall treatment experience. How Can We Help Our Nurses? Organizations are looking for innovative solutions to reduce nurse burnout. Strategies like offering uninterrupted breaks, providing better scheduling flexibility, improving team communication, and creating quiet spaces for reflection are just a few ways to support nurses' well-being. But there’s another often-overlooked aspect that can have a significant impact: the tools and systems nurses use every day. At Nursetech, we understand how small improvements can make a big difference. That’s why we developed Cordflex—a cord organization device designed to help nurses keep patient equipment organized, particularly when managing IV lines and other tubing setups. In busy hospital settings, tangled cords and incompatible IV lines can be a constant source of frustration, causing delays and adding unnecessary stress to an already demanding environment. Cordflex simplifies this process, allowing nurses to quickly and easily organize cords, reducing time spent on these tasks and giving them more time to focus on patient care. How Cordflex Helps Alleviate Burnout By streamlining the management of cords and medical devices, Cordflex offers nurses a more efficient, organized workspace. This reduction in clutter and distraction allows nurses to focus on what really matters: caring for their patients. When nurses spend less time untangling IV lines and more time interacting with patients, their stress levels decrease, and their job satisfaction increases. Not only does this improve their own mental health, but it enhances the patient experience as well. Additionally, the time saved by using Cordflex can lead to improved patient outcomes, as nurses have more time for ambulation, direct care, and patient interaction. This, in turn, can reduce some of the strain on hospital systems and improve key metrics like patient satisfaction and medication administration accuracy. Join Us in Supporting Nurses At Nursetech, we are committed to improving the working conditions of nurses while enhancing patient care. Our mission is to help alleviate nurse burnout by providing innovative tools like Cordflex that reduce stress and increase efficiency. If you are looking for a way to update your hospital with a cord management system that can help your nurses help their patients, visit us at www.nursetechmedical.com to learn more. Together, we can make a difference in supporting the well-being of our nurses and the patients they care for. Sources: 1. Brusaferro, S., et al. (2000). Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in nurses. 2. Naz, A., et al. (2016). The impact of nurse burnout on quality of life and patient care. 3. Nurse Burnout Survey. (2020). American Nurses Association. |
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