Objective:We tested the effectiveness of an illustrated divider (“the divider”) for bedside emergency equipment drawers in an intensive care unit (ICU). In Study 1, we assessed whether the divider increases completeness and standardizes the locations of emergency equipment within the drawer. In Study 2, we investigated whether the divider decreases nurses’ restocking and retrieval times and decreases their workload.Background:Easy access to fully stocked emergency equipment is important during emergencies. However, inefficient equipment storage and cognitively demanding work settings might mean that drawers are incompletely stocked and access to items is slow.Method:A pre-post-post study investigated drawer completeness and item locations before and after the introduction of the divider to 30 ICU drawers. A subsequent experiment measured item restocking time, item retrieval time, and subjective workload for nurses.Results:At 2 weeks and 10 weeks after the divider was introduced, the completeness of the dr...
['Tobias Grundgeiger', 'Bonnie Harris', 'Nicholas Ford', 'Michael R. Abbey', 'Penelope M. Sanderson', 'Bala Venkatesh']
Emergency Medical Equipment Storage Benefits of Visual Cues Tested in Field and Simulated Settings