Design and evaluation of the bed-cleaning mobile application

Abstract

Aim: To develop a mobile application (App) that enhances bed-cleaning management.

Background: Bed cleaning affects clinical work in hospitals. The nursing department needed an App to enhance bed-cleaning management, especially one on the status of all beds to be cleaned.

Methods: Bed-Cleaning App (BedCApp) was developed. Then, a survey was administered to 50 BedCApp users.

Results: BedCApp helped the administrative staff and nurse managers in adjusting their workload effectively. A complete presentation of beds to be cleaned and reminders were found to be the most satisfactory features. The average time from receiving the notice to completing bed cleaning was shortened by 25.5 min. The user satisfaction survey comprised 50 valid questionnaires, with a satisfaction rate of 3.6/5.

Conclusion: BedCApp provides the actual workload status; therefore, the administrative staff and nurse managers can optimize the workload during rush hours. The software is user-oriented, with good user acceptance.

Implications for nursing management: Proactive workload management would improve outcomes during rush hours and avoid interference in clinical care. The user interfaces for the elderly staff has special design-simple to use, larger font size than that in the interface for non-elderly staff and workflow reminders.

Keywords: beds; mobile applications; nurse managers; smartphone.