(Reference The Guidelines for other requirements.)
A nurse call system shall be provided that will register a call from each patient bed to the nurse station and activate a visual signal at the patient room door and activate a visual and audible signal in the clean workroom, the soiled workroom, the nourishment station and the master station of the nursing unit. In multicorridor nursing units, additional visible signals shall be installed at corridor intersections in the vicinity of nurse stations. In rooms containing two or more calling stations, indicating lights shall be provided for each calling station.
Master staff and duty stations may include volume controls, provided the minimum setting provides audibility of 15 decibels above normal ambient noise levels where the station is located.
An emergency calling station of the pull cord type shall be provided and shall be conveniently located for patient use at each patient toilet, bath or shower room but not inside of the shower unless the nurse call device is listed for wet locations. The call signal shall be cancelled only at the emergency calling station. The emergency station shall activate distinctive audible and visual signals immediately.
An emergency resuscitation alarm (Code Blue) calling station shall be provided for staff use in each operating, delivery, recovery LDR, LDRP, emergency, cardiac and intensive nursing care rooms, nurseries and similar rooms.
A staff call station, or similar device, shall be located within each psychiatric seclusion room and shall be of hands free operation.
The emergency resuscitative alarm panels (Code Blue) that receive the code call station signal, shall be located as required by The Guidelines and at other locations outside of the unit as determined by the facility that are staffed 24 hours per day. Audible signals may be silenced temporarily for a call provided subsequent calls automatically reactivate the audible signal immediately. The alarm panel at the 24-hour staffed station may indicate the nurse station/suite where the call originated in lieu of identifying the bed only when a 24-hour station is not one and the same as the attending nurse station.