Have you ever said something, meaning one thing, but the person you spoke to, received something different? It’s frustrating, isn’t it?
Often, my understanding of a term is different from yours. Good communication requires the transmission to be on the same frequency as the reception. Here is the irony, of all ironies – we get that when talking about Wireless NurseCall Systems…REGULARLY!
Please excuse me if this comes across patronising. I certainly don’t want it that way. But I really want everyone, whatever level of understanding, to catch this message. When we say ‘wireless nurse call’ we do not mean ‘Wi-Fi NurseCall’.
Wi-Fi is a wireless method of providing internet and associated connection between computers and devices within a given facility. It provides a network or connection between equipment in a location.
Wi-Fi can provide a platform for operating a Nurse Call System on a site. The call point can transmit messages on the Wi-Fi network and send it to a central processor that does something with the message – may be a message to an annunciator, pagers or phones. But the messages between the call points and the controller are transported via the Wi-Fi network. The risk this exposes, from a NurseCall perspective, is that if the wi-fi network ‘goes down’ (as they tend to do, from time to time) there is no pathway for the call point to get its message to the controller. Hence, your NurseCall System is rendered powerless. Our view is that your residents/patients need a higher level of safety than this. Accordingly, we are not fans of this technology. Wi-Fi is magnificent for most applications but too vulnerable to rely on to manage people’s safety and wellbeing.
In contrast, what WE call a ‘wireless nurse call’ system, operates on radiofrequency. In simple terms, the call point transmits messages on a specific frequency that are received by a receiver, tuned to the same frequency. And then it ‘does something’ with the message received – sends it to an annunciator, pager, phone, etc. Just like your radio which you tune the receiving frequency to receive the station of your preference. This approach does not rely on any other system or network to operate. This system is not impacted by whether the Wi-Fi on site is working or not. It is our belief, that this provides a much safer system for the residents/patients within the facility.
To conclude, Wi-Fi and wireless mean different things, but what is most important, is that what we mean, is what you understand we mean. So, the best way is to have an interactive discussion together, so we make sure that we are ‘on the same wavelength’ (sorry, that was a bit corny!!). But the issue is, we want to understand what you are trying to achieve, so we can create a solution based on your needs. This definition is just one of many examples of what is said, is not always interpreted as intended.
Effective communication involves the received message being the same as the one transmitted.
I hope this has provided some clarity, and we would love to explore whether wireless is a suitable option for you.
Please contact us to start a tailored discussion on this.