ROANOKE RAPIDS — Patients at Halifax Regional Medical Center are benefiting from a greater level of care thanks to a program piloted on the Medial Center’s Progressive Care Unit, according to hospital officials.

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The enhanced service comes from a program where members of the clinical staff see each patient at least once an hour to assess their needs and ensure their comfort. 

By being proactive with patients, the staff has noticed that a major decrease in calls to the nurses station. In a six-month period, calls on the Progressive Care Unit decreased 75 percent from the average 1,600.

“The benefit to nurses is that they have more productive time to complete their job duties,” said Michael Joyner, R.N., manager of the Progressive Care Unit. “When a patient calls a nurse, they stop their activity to respond and then they resume normal duties.” 

“The decrease in call bell activity has led to a less hectic environment,” said Jessica Brown, R.N., a nurse who works on the Progressive Care Unit. “Now I can give more attention to each patient and not have to run from room to room to respond to calls.”

Patients on the Progressive Care Unit have registered their approval of the new program by higher patient satisfaction scores. The percentage of patients who have been in the Progressive Care Unit who would recommend the unit to others has increased by more than 16 percent.

In another positive result, the Progressive Care Unit went nearly a year without a patient having an urgent cardiac or respiratory incident. “That is nearly unheard of,” said Joyner. “I attributed it to our staff’s having more time with patients to notice the subtle changes that typically take place before cardiac or respiratory distress occurs.”

Three other units at Halifax Regional are implementing the program. They are the medical surgical units on the 5th and 6th floors and the Birthing Center with similar results.

“The nurses say they are better able to anticipate the needs of their patients,” said Amy Joseph, R.N., manager of the Birthing Center.  “It is reassuring when patients tell you that they have had a wonderful experience at the Medical Center.”

Nurses on the fifth floor tell manager Peter Rossi, R.N., that they see the value of the program. Rossi also says the number of falls by patients has been reduced.

“With all the tasks a nurse must do for her patients each day, its important that we provide time to be with the patients,” said Karen Daniels, vice president of nursing. “Its what we became nurses for.”

In making hourly rounds, staff is taught to check on four areas of patient needs. “The point is to see if the patient is in pain, check to see if assistance is needed in getting to the restroom, check to make a patient is in a comfortable position and if they easily reach their personal items,” explained Daniels.

At night, patients who are sleeping are not disturbed unless it is time for medication or another need must be addressed. Halifax Regional is recognized for its quality nursing care.  The medical center has six nurses named among the “Great 100” nurses in North Carolina.  In addition, the North Carolina Nurses Association selected Halifax Regional as one of its “Hallmarks for Healthy Workplaces.”