The History of Nurse Call Systems

Nurse call systems as an innovation of healthcare technology for hospitals, care homes, health institutions and trusts, have existed for well over 100 years, with a storied history that runs through the generations. As a designer, manufacturer, and innovator of the modern form of wireless nurse call solutions, we at Courtney Thorne are well-placed to comment on and discuss this history. In this blog article, we will be examining the history of nurse call systems, covering when and where they were initially invented, by whom, and how they have developed and evolved throughout the years to become the modern healthcare solution that they are today.

What does a Nurse Call System do?

A nurse call system is a piece of healthcare technology that is utilised by organisations such as hospitals and care homes; they provide an easy and efficient method for patients and residents to be able to call their nurses or carers to their side. Conversely, a powerful nurse call solution also allows for the nurses and carers in these organisations to be able to monitor the people under their care, via smart technology and access points throughout multiple areas of their environment to do so. With a strong nurse call system solution, a healthcare organisation gains the ability to greatly improve the speed and quality of their care, whilst also providing an excellent opportunity for monitoring and reporting on the health and status of their patients.

Who invented the Nurse Call System?

The very first, modern-adjacent nurse call system was actually implemented by Florence Nightingale, colloquially-recognised and famous for being the “founder of modern nursing”. The origins of the very first, formally-recognised nurse call system can be traced back to the 1850s, during the time of the Crimean War. A more rudimentary solution, consisting simply of a handbell or a pull cord at the patient’s bedside, this primitive nurse call bell design achieved as well as it could what the more modern designs do; that is, to provide patients with a way to summon caregivers to their side with ease and get the care they need. 

Interestingly enough, Florence Nightingale as a figure was especially interested in the fields of mathematics and statistics, with both being subjects of her writings. It could perhaps be argued that, if the technology and the knowledge was available at the time, that the earliest forms of nurse call system would have incorporated more elements of both. Modern nurse call systems like our own CT Cloud Remote Reporting technology, or our Connect Health nurse call system, incorporate a wide range of different analysis, reporting, and patient monitoring capabilities that we’re quite sure she would have loved to see! The spirit of these early systems certainly remains alive and well in more modern nurse call solutions – prioritising the comfort of patients, and the ability of nurses to deliver more optimised care, above all else!

Nurse Call Systems throughout the Years

The evolution of nurse call systems throughout the years, from such humble beginnings, has been a very interesting journey to observe. With brand new technological innovations, and optimisations to the overall capability of the system, modern nurse call products have developed from being a simple bell and call solution, to being an all-inclusive call, monitoring, and reporting network. The first nurse call systems, as previously alluded to, consisted mainly of a system of manual bells and call buttons that, when activated, would cause bells in a nurse or carer’s station to ring – alerting them to attend to the needs of the patient in question. 

Nurse call systems throughout the years have evolved in a variety of different ways, with the wider steps forward that have been made in medical, and general, technology. From intercom-like technologies, to help improve the ability to communicate between patients and nurses, to the introduction of electronic health records, more detailed monitoring softwares, wireless alarms with smartphone integration and Bluetooth technology – nurse call systems throughout the years have evolved with the times, incorporating newer innovations with every iteration of the product.

What do modern Nurse Call Systems look like today?

Modern nurse call systems today look a world apart from the types of solutions that were being utilised years and years ago. At Courtney Thorne, all of our nurse call system products and solutions make use of all of these technological innovations, to bring the healthcare industry a series of nurse call systems that can cater to the needs of all types of healthcare environments. A modern nurse call system needs to not only efficiently facilitate communication between the patient and the carer, but also provide ample opportunity to monitor, report on, and optimise the care provided to patients and residents – on a case by case basis.

Our Connect nurse call system for care homes, as an example, is one that makes use of a huge variety of these advancements. Conceptualised with simplicity, and ease of use, in mind, the Connect system allows for full, wireless integration with a range of different care planning solutions, comes fully equipped with the latest in CT Cloud Remote Reporting technology, and delivers all the functionality needed to comply with the necessary regulations of a care home.

Our Altra Health nurse call system, on the other hand, is one that has been built with the express needs of a hospital in mind. The Altra Health system works alongside your nurses to help them monitor, and improve, patient safety. It does so by using reliable technology and seamless integration to deliver a higher quality of care, via fast, dependable wireless connectivity, optimised, fail-safe reliability, and modern reporting solutions.  

Nurse call systems have come a long way, the way first introduced to the world by Florence Nightingale in the mid 1850s. As the rapid evolution of medical science and healthcare technology has progressed, so too has the capabilities of the modern nurse call system. Now capable of not only facilitating stronger, more efficient communications between nurses and patients, the nurse call solutions have today have the ability to greatly bolster the level of care provided by making use of wireless integration technology, powerful reporting and analysis softwares, and via the use of bespoke systems that are catered to the needs of individual environments – be that a care home, a nursing home, a hospital, and any other healthcare organisation. 

If you have an interest in learning more about all of our various nurse call solutions for your organisation, and would like to know how you can go about starting your own nurse call system installation, then be sure to get in touch with us over on our Contact page. You may also be interested in visiting our Support hub, containing a variety of helpful resources like User Guides and FAQs, that can explain all of our products in a greater level of detail.

Written by

Barry Vacher

Date

08.05.24