Silentia Screens shown here at the Community Memorial Hospital NICU.
In 2018, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, CA was moved to a new location, providing them with a much larger delivery space and recovery ward. Deborah Hill, Clinical Nurse Manager, saw an opportunity to re-envision the NICU experience for patients, families, and staff. The need for reliable, multi-purpose hospital equipment was key to creating the ideal NICU environment.
Impact of privacy and design
“Silentia helped bring our vision to life and recommended a design that is working really well for us.”
For the NICU nurses at Community Memorial Hospital, the ability to monitor a patient’s vitals without having to be at their bedside was a necessity. The old curtains did not provide enough visibility to the hospital monitors, so private moments among family members were often interrupted. Silentia worked with hospital engineers to determine which privacy screens would best suit their new space; and provide families with as much privacy as needed without having to close a door. With the implementation of Silentia privacy screens, staff immediately noticed a shift in the way families were allowing themselves to react in the moment due to the better sense of privacy.
“Ask any nurse in America and they’ll tell you that the NICU is not a place where a person should feel like they have to hide their emotions. Silentia privacy screens eliminate that need.”
Silentia privacy screens gave nurses a greater sense of comfort when having private conversations with families. The NICU can be a very intimidating place for most families, and while newborns are technically the patients, much of the focus is making sure the families remain calm. Nurses are responsible for updating family members every step of the way, and that includes news that can be very difficult to process. Strength is often tested in the NICU and families go through dramatically different emotions within extremely close quarters. Silentia privacy screens preserve the sanctity of the caregiver-patient relationship and offer a personal level of compassion and discretion.
Installation is easy due to the flexibility of the Silentia screen system.
Improved infection control
“The switch to privacy screens was like night and day.”
One of the main goals surrounding the new space was to find hospital equipment that could help the staff maintain quality infection control. Since most premature infants are born with a compromised immune system, any level of exposure can be considered a risk. Community Memorial Hospital wanted to explore options outside of the old curtain dividers since they were more prone to contamination and difficult to clean.
The NICU staff immediately began to see improvements once they started using Silentia equipment. The privacy screens have a hard, smooth surface which are easy to clean and did not require any special cleaning products. The hospital’s Infection Control Team were especially pleased to learn that the Silentia privacy screens were working to enhance the hygiene of the NICU without compromising the environment. When staff are in a rush, the privacy screens collapse easily and roll up against the wall. This was a huge time saver for nurses, making discharging one family and welcoming another a much easier experience.
Photo Credit: Community Memorial Hospital.
Facts:
Community Memorial Hospital of San Buenaventura is a 242 bed community based teaching hospital located in Ventura, California
Hospital Curtains
- Cleaning Fabric is prone to contamination.
- Equipment is bulky, parts break easily.
- Curtains need to be sent out weekly for costly cleaning.
Silentia Privacy Screens
- Hard surface is smooth and easy to clean.
- Slim, rolls up against the wall when not in use.
- Does not require special cleaning solutions or instructions.
Delivering on promises
“The Silentia team was very easy to work with. You would have thought that Community Memorial Hospital was their one and only client from start to finish.”
Deborah Hill recalls her interactions with Silentia starting from the moment she picked up a brochure. “The Silentia team answered every question, did not oversell, and did not over promise. They took the time to travel to our location just so they could stand in our space and bring our vision to life.” Silentia understands the basic needs of hospitals from several different angles. While some requirements vary between wards, Silentia believes that privacy, durability, and infection control are the core pillars of functionality. We build products designed to make people’s lives easier, and our experience allows us to recommend the best products based on our clients’ needs.
“Once you have experienced a screen like this, you’ll never go back to curtains. Ever.”
