This article explains how computing technology was used to address the need for mobile communications among nursing staff. In 2004, nursing staff at Fauquier Hospital relocated from one nursing floor in an older building to two floors in a new structure. This resulted in complaints and supervision issues as nursing managers, who had previously been relatively sedentary, now became quite mobile as they attempted to control nursing operations on two separate floors. Complaints arose from several sources. Nursing staff and managers both complained about the increased difficulty in communicating with each other Physicians expressed frustration to hospital administration at playing "telephone tag" with managers. The solution involved Internet Protocol technology that is in widespread use on most computer networks. The article details how this technology was selected over several other communications technologies and used to implement wireless telephony over the hospital's existing computer network. It reviews key standards and technologies and issues surrounding their use. Finally, the article demonstrates how this computing technology improved patient care by facilitating mobile communications.
Diffusion of Innovation Information Systems