Every hospital really needs a phone charging station. According to the American Hospital Association, there are 35,158,934 admissions to U.S. hospitals annually. This number doesn’t account for the visitors each of those patients have during their admittance. With upwards of 92% of Americans owning a cell phone, it’s likely that the majority of those patients and their visitors will be in need of a charge during their stay.
Phones = Staying Connected In Emergencies
In an emergency, a dead phone becomes much more than an annoyance. Family members must be able to get in touch with each other at a drop of a hat. And if your phone is on the brink of a black screen, the stress of the situation escalates. There are definitely phones in the hospital for patients and visitors to use but who remembers phone numbers? Most of us only have a handful of phone numbers memorized, if that. There may be many more people who must be called quickly and without a working cell phone, that becomes difficult.
For hospital personnel, especially administrators, receptionists, and nurses, phone charging is essential. Ask someone who works in a hospital if they’ve ever been to charge a visitor or patient’s phone. The chances are the answer is a resounding, “Yes” – and multiple times at that. This is another reason that every hospital really needs a phone charging station.
“Managing patient’s and visitor’s phones was almost becoming a full time job. We had to stop offering that service. However, this led to another problem which was people cluttering up our hallways by sitting and sometimes even lying on the floor next to power outlets. It used to drive the nurses and doctors crazy. However, we solved both problems by adding a mobile charging station. We chose to add The VIP Charging Tower to our waiting area and another by our nurses’ station. Now everyone is happy and our ward is clutter free.” Stephanie – nurse, BC
Considering that keeping batteries charged is not what these staff members are being paid to do, this provides a clear reason for a hospital to offer another solution. A couple of options could be The VIP or The Hub Device Charging Stations. The users quickly get a rapid charge for their mobile device. GrowCharge Inc. is now offering GREEN Solar charging stations that can be placed around Hospital grounds. The Solar Phone Charger is a Hospital favourite.
A Benefit To Hospital Personnel
Most importantly, these days most people’s medical information is on their mobile device. When a new patient’s phone is dead they most likely won’t have access to their medical numbers or doctors. However, when there are multiple charging stations available, nurses, for example, can be more productive and less liable when it comes to charging someone else’s phone. From a productivity perspective, the truth is that nurses get bogged down charging people’s phones. With phone charger stations present, nurses can simply direct people to a charging station to use at their own convenience.
“Working on the labor and delivery floor, I’ve had excited husbands approach me with their battery “in the red”. Their wives are moments away from giving birth and they are so grateful when I direct them to our VIP Charging Tower. We end up looking like the heroes but what I like best is that nobody ever misses a moment.” – Alexandra, receptionist, CO Avert Disasters (no, seriously)
Offering a charging station additionally prevents someone from unplugging a needed medical device in a hospital room. While you might not think this is a likely scenario, it does happen, putting the patient at risk and the on-duty nurse potentially liable. You never know what someone might unplug when they’re on the hunt for power.
A Benefit to Patients and Visitors
Patients and their family members definitely fall within the “low battery anxiety” club. For those in the hospital bed, they must have an easy way to communicate with loved ones. Visitors may need to contact others regarding the status of a patient’s visitation hours, and the like. For those with long stays who may be trying to get some work done while at the hospital, the need for a reliable charging option transcends the phone to the laptop and iPad, as well. Every hospital really needs a phone charging station to provide everyone inside the facility with an easy way to charge their devices.
“We’ve had a Hub Wall Mount Charging Station outside our lobby cafe for a couple of months now. I see a lot of businessmen and women use it to recharge their mobile devices in-between visiting hours. It’s been great for business in the cafe and is obviously a huge help to a lot of the people. People are coming to see patients here during the day and often “top up” while have a coffee or tea.” — Stanley – hospital cafe manager, KS
Benefits For Everybody In The Building
Nurses and receptionists will be able to simply direct patients and visitors to a charging station. It also removes all liability for handling and charging multiple phones themselves.
Patients often have their medical information on their mobile devices. Getting admitted to a hospital or emergency room usually requires multiple forms that have to be filled out. Most of the info they need is on their phone and if that’s dead, admin staff will miss out on critical data like health numbers and doctor’s information.
Patients and visitors will now have easy access to a charged phone 24/7. No more waiting on a staff member to help them charge up their device.
Multi-device charging stations like the Rockstar commercial charging tower, offer not just phone charging capabilities, but an option for laptops and iPads, as well. A benefit for patients and visitors with lengthier hospital stays
Increased Battery Life = Reduced Stress
Staying in touch with loved ones during emergencies, surgeries, or births is essential. Providing multiple phone chargers and device charging options for everyone who comes through your doors for any length of a stay is the peak of customer service.