Nurse call systems are telecommunications systems that act as a means of communication transmission between the nursing staff and patients within the healthcare facility. Because these devices are connected to the wall of the facility and not actual medical devices it is the responsibility of facilities management to maintain and repair these communication systems.
Laws in most places require that a call button must be in reach of the patient at all times. It is essential to patients in emergencies. There are also laws that vary by location setting the amount of time in which staff must respond to a call. It is the responsibility of nursing staff to explain to the patients that they have a call button and to teach them how to use it.
