A hospital is the most complex of all facility types, which makes sense when considering the wide range of responsibilities that fall on it’s staff. On one end of the spectrum, a hospital’s mission is the preservation of health and the saving of lives. And of course, there is also the goal of keeping its occupants comfortable and fed while accommodating a parade of visitors.
Authors Owen B. Hardy and Lawrence P. Lammers are often cited in explaining the importance of detail in a hospital: "A functional design can promote skill, economy, conveniences, and comforts. A non-functional design can impede activities of all types, detract from the quality of care, and raise costs to intolerable levels.”
Crucial to a hospitals design is a system for accurate time, and with endless corridors and a wide variety of spaces, the placement of hospital clocks requires special attention too. Whether in a bustling hallway, a patient room, or an operating room, clocks need to be highly visible both for staff and the people they care for. LED digital clocks are well-suited to satisfy this requirement with their large, easy-to-read displays.
Timing is Vital in Operating Rooms
When it comes to surgery, timing is everything, so much so that losing track of the time can put a patient in jeopardy. That is where a well-placed digital clock is of utmost importance. When doctors and nurses are focused on the vital organs in front of them, they need to be able to glance up for a fraction of a second to tell the time, and that time needs to be accurate. This is where maintaining a thoughtfully distributed synchronized clock system helps caregivers do their jobs.
Everywhere in Between is Key, Too
As hospital staff members hurry from room to room and keep up with their demanding, regimented schedules, they can easily lose track of the time if their facility's clocks aren't placed prominently.
The nurses' desk, one of the hubs of staff activity, is another location not to be forgotten when mapping your clock system. The constant reminder of the time helps keep staff on track as they coordinate their tasks.
Clocks in Patient Rooms Prevent Disorientation
In an environment where every patient interaction is carefully recorded, thoughtfully placed clocks help that process go that much more smoothly.
Having accurate time in a patient's room allows them to keep track of their schedules, whether that be for nurses visits, medication, or upcoming procedures. If the patient has a prolonged hospital stay confined to their beds, keeping an easy-to-read clock on the wall can help them feel more normal and avoid the anxiety commonly associated with bedrest.
In a similar vein, the placement of clocks in waiting areas is something to think about, too, since clocks can promote a sense of order for understandably anxious visitors.
As you look for digital clocks to help your facility run at its best, one resource is American Time, which offers digital clocks in four- and six-digit formats. Additionally, American Time's clocks feature an optional Code Blue elapsed time function that is helpful during surgeries.
