Hospital Nurse Call Testing Requirements

Hospitals use nurse call stations to keep in contact with patients under hospital stay who need assistance or with medical staff to maintain communication for administrative and emergency purposes. Nurses at the master station watch each call system initiating equipment where lighted signals will inform the nurse in charge of either a normal or emergency status. Call systems are located in patient, staff, emergency and duty wards, and must pass testing requirements before installation.

Testing Facilities

• For the hospital nurse call testing to proceed, the product manufacturer will obtain test facilities for the product demonstration so as to meet contract requirements. The manufacturer will contact the company field adviser's services for testing as well as the director, who will send a representative to witness the test, before the facility becomes available. An alternative test date must be set so certification can proceed without delay.

Preliminary Testing

• A system preliminary test must be given for adjustment by the company fIeld adviser. She operates the hospital nurse call system for proper performance, determines whether all equipment is in suitable condition and trains facility personnel of its use. The company field adviser will check the system only long enough to monitor operations before conducting the acceptance test in the presence of the director's representative.

Acceptance Testing

• The company field adviser will perform the acceptance testing to the hospital nurse call station before submitting the test results. She will place calls through each signal initiating device within the respective wards and check the incoming call lights as well as the corridor lights to monitor normal and emergency signal illumination. After all necessary equipment for system adjustment and periodic testing is given, the director's representative and the company field adviser will sign the test results report before mounting a copy in an enclosed frame beside the control equipment.