Information is power. When data is gathered, analyzed, and most importantly, acted upon, meaningful changes can be made to improve how a facility operates. Real time locating systems (RTLS) enable organizations in the Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial industries to track and protect assets and equipment with RFID tags. An RTLS software solution gathers rich sets of data relating to the location and position of tags, which can subsequently be used to create reports. These reports provide valuable insights into the organization, allowing management to take action based on accurate informatio ..read more

The stress of missing or being late for an appointment due to the complex and confusing lay-out of a healthcare facility, residential long-term care home, or hospital is something many people have experienced at some point in their life. New parents operating in a fog of sleeplessness, elders disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings, and distracted visitors struggling to interpret signage and painted lines have all found themselves at a loss for which direction to turn or the right door to open. The True Cost of Poor Indoor Navigation The panic, guilt, and urgency of being lost or late is an unn ..read more

Nurses are experiencing staggering rates of workplace violence. Data reported by Press Ganey revealed that there were more than 5,200 assaults against nurses in the second quarter of 2022. According to their National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®) the statistics equate to an average of 1,739 assaults in a month, 57 assaults per day, and two assaults every hour. The analysis was based on data from 483 U.S. facilities in the organization’s national database. The statistics showed that patients are responsible for the majority of the assaults. However, family members, visitors ..read more

Healthcare workers are among the most vulnerable employees in the workforce. In a 2020 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the incidence rate of workplace violence injuries among full-time healthcare and social assistance employees was 10.3 out of 10,000. Nursing and personal care facility workers experienced a rate of 21.8 incidents of physical violence out of 10,000. Emergency departments and hospitals are particularly hazardous environments. On June 1, a gunman killed two physicians, a receptionist and a visitor inside a Tulsa medical building. Two days later, two nurses and an emerge ..read more

Violence should never be part of the job. Yet for far too long, healthcare workers and nurses have been subject to unacceptable physical, verbal or sexual assault in the workplace. Data collected by National Nurses United (NNU) in 2020 and 2021 revealed that 82% of healthcare workers have experienced at least one type of workplace violence. Prior to the pandemic, the rate of workplace violence in the United States had been trending upwards. In the period between 2005 and 2014, there was a 110% increase in incidents in private industry hospitals. In response, healthcare workers took action. In ..read more

Violence should never be part of the job. Yet for far too long, health care workers and nurses have been subject to unacceptable physical, verbal or sexual assault in the workplace. Now, health care professionals and those who assist them are one step closer in receiving greater protections at work. On December 17, 2021, the Canadian federal government passed Bill C-3, which amends the Criminal Code of Canada to include Intimidation and obstructing access offences and Aggravating sentencing factors. The first amendment is designed to protect health care workers and those seeking health care se ..read more

High stress and elevated workloads in healthcare are causing burnout in nurses. When workloads increase—as they have done in many hospitals during the pandemic—so does workplace violence. In one U.S. hospital system, the annual cost of treatment and indemnity for the 2.1% of nurses reporting injuries due to workplace violence was $94K. In Canada, the overburdened healthcare system loses an estimated 16 million nursing hours annually to injury and illness. To preserve their own well-being and safety, many nurses are choosing to leave the profession. Keeping nurses protected and secure from work ..read more

The Avigilon Control Center 7 Software suite (ACC7) is the latest integration completed by Guard RFID Solutions Inc. Typical use case involves the Guard RFID system to immediately activate an alarm near a door. The AllGuard software system triggers the configured Avigilon camera to immediately record the event and alerts the video management system (VMS) to display the alarm video to the security personnel monitoring the VMS console. Users using the AllGuard Client will see an event alarm and have access to the live video stream to verify the event situation. The AllGuard system is part of th ..read more

There is perhaps no greater imperative for any healthcare organization than the safety of its staff. While occupational health and safety standards are constantly being reviewed, upgraded and implemented, there is always room for improvement. Technology provides one way to make an immediate and impactful difference in preventing injury and even death to staff in the healthcare environment. Real-time location systems (RTLS) that offer a staff safety technology solution enable employees to call for help in situations where they are in imminent danger, or they are experiencing duress. A variety o ..read more