Case Study: Rubbermaid Medication Cart Improves Nursing Workflow, Enhances Patient Safety

When it was decided to implement a bar code medication administration system in 2006, Norwalk Hospital's primary focus was to improve patient safety. At the same time, leadership recognized the organization had an ideal opportunity to reevaluate its complete medication delivery process. Over the years, Norwalk Hospital adopted various medication delivery solutions, including multiple generations of mobile carts, to facilitate efficient workflow. Though each version had merit, previous innovations missed the mark in terms of uniting patient safety with optimized nurse workflow.

Nurses at Norwalk Hospital historically administered medications at the patient bedside and then returned to the nurse station for charting. Thirty years ago, Norwalk introduced mobile carts designed to be rolled into the patient room. Though the carts offered a convenient option for storing medication and housing computer terminals, the units proved unwieldy and difficult to push. As a result, nurses left the carts outside the patient room, which required that they constantly walk from the bedside to the hallway for computer access.

Norwalk Hospital leaders initiated a search for an updated solution that was better suited to both nurse and patient needs. With nurses as key-decision makers, Norwalk investigated multiple alternatives, assessing the effect each one had on medication administration workflow.