Abstract
Background: Delayed nurse responses to high-priority call bells pose substantial patient safety risks. Baseline evaluation in the Pediatric Ward at WDGH revealed an average response time of 4.8 minutes, far exceeding the hospital benchmark of ≤2 minutes, resulting in delayed interventions, reduced patient satisfaction, and increased clinical risk.
Objectives: To reduce the average nurse response time to high-priority call bells to ≤60 seconds (hospital KPI ≤2 minutes) by September 2025 through workflow optimization, system monitoring, and staff training.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post intervention design was used from July–September 2025. Interventions included development of a standardized call-bell response protocol, staff education, installation of visual alert systems, response-time logbooks, and weekly monitoring audits. Response time data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and trend analysis.
Results: The average response time improved steadily from 4.8 minutes (June baseline) to 1.6 minutes by September 2025, meeting the target of ≤2 minutes and reflecting a 67% improvement. Staff compliance with the call-bell protocol increased from 60% to 98%, and calls answered within ≤2 minutes increased from 42% to 94%.
Conclusion: Standardizing workflow, improving alert visibility, and strengthening staff accountability significantly reduced response times and enhanced patient safety. The project achieved sustained results and is recommended for hospital-wide adoption.