Tag: ergonomic hospital carts

Ergonomic Carts a Natural for Health Care Industry

Health care may be one of the few bright spots in the American economy. With the Baby Boomers just beginning to enter the age of aches and pains (otherwise known as retirement), the health care industry is expected to be booming for some decades to come. Health care jobs top the list of most employment recruiters and are drawing huge numbers of future workers to training programs. No job is recession-proof, but health care comes close.

What’s interesting is that the Boomers lining up for treatment also comprise the largest number of current health care workers. The poor economy has encouraged many nurses, aides and other health care workers to forego retirement and remain on the job. The flexible and part-time schedules available in many segments of the health care industry have made it possible for workers to balance work responsibilities with the need to care for children, aging parents or a disabled spouse, further increasing the average age of experienced health care workers. The aging of the health care workforce means for hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers and other health care employers must accommodate the changing physical needs of their workers.

Ergonomically-designed powered carts allow workers of any age or size to easily accomplish necessary tasks without risk of the often debilitating musculoskeletal injuries that can occur from pushing and pulling heavy carts. A national leader in the design and manufacture of ergonomic motored carts and tugs, DJ Products offers several carts specifically designed to navigate crowded hospital corridors and maneuver in cramped hospital rooms.

  • Housekeeping Cart. Eliminates strain from pushing heavy carts filled with cleaning supplies or linens.
  • Dirty Linen Cart. Eliminates pain and muscle strain from maneuvering heavy soiled linens through rooms and hallways.
  • Clean Linen Wire Cart. Has wire shelves for stacking clean linens or moving supplies without straining.

Visit the DJ Products’ website to see our complete line of ergonomic motorized carts and tugs.

Can Hospitals Fill Shifts by Using Incentives?

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Improving Hospital Staffing

Different people prefer different work schedules to better align their off time with that of family members. Some hospital shifts are always easy to fill. Other shifts always seem to operate short-handed and have a high turnover of people. For the best patient care and to maintain a top level team of nurses and doctors, it is important for hospitals to get creative with their incentive programs for covering the traditionally difficult to fill overnight and weekend shifts. Becker’s Hospital Review emphasizes that increased pay is not enough and can lead to staff simply holding out for higher and higher pay.

Problems with monetary incentives

Many people who appreciate the flexibility of having their days or evenings free when working a night shift will simply hold out for higher pay as the shift operates understaffed. Having the hospital operate at less than optimal becomes a benefit to the staff. The worse conditions are, the higher the pay. The increased pay is quickly absorbed by their family budget and underappreciated. An overworked staff and poorly functioning hospital is highlighted.

Other ways to show appreciation

Doctors and nurses rely on a wide array of healthcare equipment to perform their jobs. The motorized Hospital Cart Puller from DJ Products reduces the fatigue of a long shift and minimizes the risks of workplace strains or injuries. Becker’s Hospital Review suggests a rewards program can build enthusiasm in the workplace and increase retention by making it fun to cover typically understaffed shifts.

For the best available line of healthcare equipment to improve the work, safety and efficiency of your hospital, contact DJ Products today.

Reviews and Ratings, Even Hospitals Have to Worry About Them

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Can the Medical Experience be Improved

Ratings systems and online review sites have hospitals under the magnifying glass more than ever. Healthcare organizations must worry about their reputation with the government’s Hospital Compare data and organizations like Leapfrog.

As Leapfrog recently explained to The Sentinel, every rating system has differences by design. Reviews and ratings judge hospitals not only on outcomes and safety, but also on more subjective matters like employee responsiveness and patient satisfaction.

Across the variety of review systems, the key factors are:

  • Safety: Leapfrog places a special emphasis on safety scores, aggregated from various surveys.
  • Patient Experience: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) relies heavily on critical aspects of patient experience (as opposed to “satisfaction,” which is more subjective).
  • Communications and Responsiveness: How quickly and effectively staff responds to questions and problems greatly affects customer satisfaction.
  • Discharge Experience: Communications upon discharge and follow-up protocols also matter heavily.

How Can My Hospital Get Better Ratings and Reviews?

Hospitals should respond to surveys and provide data whenever possible. Transparency always helps.

Be proactive and ask patients about their experience during and after care. It’s easier to solve problems before negative reviews are left online.

Focus on communication and meeting patient expectations:

  • User-friendly inpatient forms
  • Educate staff on communication skills
  • Emphasize a comfortable and clean environment
  • Use modern equipment, software, and apps as applicable

Powered hospital carts can help improve patient care and satisfaction. Employees can respond to patient calls more quickly and effectively, and janitorial staff can perform their duties most efficiently.

For help expediting patient care and providing a safe and clean environment, visit DJProducts.com for information about hospital carts.