ALEXANDRIA, Ontario – The HGMH Foundation has generously purchased 15 intravenous (IV) infusion pumps on behalf of the hospital.
These pumps, now in use in the Emergency Department and Inpatient Units, administer IV fluids and medications into a patient’s body.
With this generous donation, HGMH staff are able to reduce patient risk through the use of a drug library that is integrated into the new IV infusion pumps. This library makes it easier for staff to select the right medication, the right concentration and the right length of time the medication is to be infused. The benefit of the drug library is protecting patients from IV medication errors by identifying potentially harmful medication programming errors as well as alerting staff prior to the drugs being administered.
At only 2.5 pounds in weight, the new pumps are also significantly smaller and lighter than the old pumps, which weighed between 10-15 pounds. This makes transferring patients to a higher level of care or for external referrals with our staff much easier, as these pumps are essential piece of equipment to keep patients safe.
HGMH’s recent work to expand the scope of its RPN staff coincides with the ‘go-live’ of these pumps. RPNs are able to use these pumps to a greater functionality than they have in the past. The added benefit and safety of the integrated drug library gives all nurses the confidence to provide safe care based on best practice to all of our patients.
