Nurse Call System glossary Flashcards
Annunciator panel
A device that signals the presence and locations of calls or alarms in the system. It typically provides both audible and visual indications.
Bath station
A call-initiating device located in a bath area to allow patients or staff to summon help.
Call cord
A cord with a switch at one end and, at the other, a connector that typically plugs into a patient station. The patient places a call to the nursing staff by momentarily pressing the switch. A call is automatically placed when the cord is removed from the station receptacle.
Central equipment
The components needed to process and distribute signals among nurse and patient stations and other peripheral devices. Typically components are low-voltage power supplies, logic and control circuits, and terminal blocks. The equipment is typically enclosed in a wall-mounted, listed electrical enclosure that is located in an equipment room or closet.
Code-blue call
See code call
Code call
A distinctive audible and visual signal representing a life-threatening situation that requires immediate action.
Code-call system
A system used to alert the necessary staff to a life-threatening situation that requires immediate action. It can be a stand-alone system or a part of a nurse call system.
Confirmation light
Typically a light at a patient station, emergency station, or staff station acknowledging that the station has been activated.
Corridor lamp (Dome lamp)
A visual annunciator, mounted on the wall (or ceiling) outside of a room, which indicates calling activities and the presence of staff members. It may have a single bulb or several bulbs of different colours to indicate the types of calls and staff members.
Duty station
A station that uses tones and lamps to annunciate calls by their type or priority. It is normally installed in a location where nurses tend to be when they are not at the nurse control station nor in the patient rooms.
Nurse call system
A system of components that provides audible and visual communication between patients and hospital personnel. It must be listed for the intended use and interconnected according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Nurse control station (Nurse Master Station)
A component, intended to be located at the Nurses’ Station, which provides audible tones and visual annunciation of incoming calls. Typically, it also provides audio communication between the nurse and the patient. Many other features are optionally available.
Patient monitoring
The use of a nurse control station to monitor the sounds from one or more patient rooms.
Patient station
A device located on the wall behind the patient bed that allows patients or staff to summon help. It is typically activated by a call cord or pillow speaker. It normally has a call-assurance lamp, which lights when a call is placed, and a reset switch for cancelling a call. Common options include an intercom speaker/microphone and entertainment circuits for television control.
Pillow speaker
A pendant control similar to a call cord but with additional features such as a speaker for personal-entertainment audio (TV or programmed audio) and nurse communication, a volume control, an entertainment-channel selector, and lighting controls.
