Corded vs Cordless Workstations (pt 4): Factors to Consider

This is part four of our five-part blog series on the reasons why cordless EHR workstations are a better fit for nurses than those that have to be plugged in to charge. Read our overview in part one; our analysis of flexibility, efficiency, and convenience in part two; and our discussion of availability, battery charge, and budget in part three. For part four, we’ll discuss durability and safety considerations.

Durability

Cords can create damage to either workstations or to electrical infrastructure. If a busy nurse tending to patients forgets that a unit is plugged in and walks off with it, the cord or the electrical outlet could be damaged, rendering either useless. Oftentimes, the third prong of the plug will break off in the outlet. That outlet will then remain out of service until it can be safely fixed. Cords also wear down over time and become frayed or even loosened from the unit, especially with repeated tugging, yanking, or stretching. Since a corded EHR workstation must be plugged in to charge, the workstation that has the broken plug or cord will eventually become depleted, and that workstation will also be out of service until IT can make repairs.

Cordless EHR workstations using swappable battery technology, such as MobiusPower®, never need to be plugged in to charge. Instead, the external battery charges in a wall-mounted charging bay. A nurse performs a six-second swap from the bay to an ergonomically placed holster on the EHR workstation. This procedure does not create wear and tear on workstations or a hospital’s electrical infrastructure.

Safety

Cords create several safety concerns. They can impact infection control. They’re routinely on the floor, collecting dust, hair, and dirt—all things that are present even in the pristine hospital environment. Now consider the interactions a nurse has with a patient. If a nurse must wrangle a cord and then dispense medication, for example, he or she has just touched whatever the cord has come in contact with. Cords can also cause tripping. In a clinical environment, people are constantly moving, and cords, even when carefully placed, can be a hazard. Lastly, cords that are frayed or damaged can cause electrical shock.

By using cordless EHR workstations powered by swappable batteries, a hospital can eliminate or greatly reduce these safety concerns. Enovate’s MobiusPower swappable batteries are designed so that they don’t need to come into contact with the floor and are easy to disinfect. Of course, without ever needing to be tethered to an outlet, cordless EHR workstations eliminate a tripping hazard. Finally, MobiusPower uses low-voltage power, mitigating the possibility of electrical shock.