Nursing Informatics - The Nursing Digital Signage Project

Nurses work in complex environments and have rapidly changing information needs. A key challenge is the creation of tools to facilitate communication and engage a diverse multigenerational healthcare team. Nurses rely on a variety of communication methods and yet not all messages make it to the end user. Digital signage can be used in nursing to facilitate and supplement communications relating to practice initiatives, research innovations, policy changes, and educational activities as well as promote corporate programs and upcoming events.

The Nursing Digital Signage Project was implemented in 2010 with 36 screens and recently expanded to 55 screens targeting nursing staff as well as other healthcare professionals throughout the organization. Screens are located in clinical areas, including nursing units and lounges, as well as in 2 corporate areas.

The Nursing Digital Signage Project facilitates corporate, site specific and unit specific communications for nurses working in clinical areas to support nursing research, education and practice and ultimately improve patient and staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. Content is produced by the Web-Enabled Nursing Innovations Team using Adobe Flash to create each media piece. Content is acquired from numerous departments throughout the organization. Since the launch of the Project in May 2010 over 500 individual corporate, site and unit specific messages have been created and posted.

Contact: digital.signage@uhn.on.ca