Summertime is here and students are enjoying a break from their studies. Summer is also the ideal time for sim lab coordinators to get their medical equipment ready for the next school year. The common misconception is that maintenance is only required when the issue strikes, but this run-to-fail strategy can present safety risks and increase long-term costs. Preventative maintenance is one of the most important tasks that facilitators should consider, as it keeps equipment safe and ready to use for students and instructors throughout the upcoming school year. There are eight examples of medical equipment that require professional preventative maintenance measures before a years long worth of use, most of which are already in simulation labs.

Hospital Beds

Even though simulation hospital beds are not used with patients, they still require regular maintenance to protect the students and instructors. Hospital beds are meant to be moved around easily, but that comes with more considerable damage as students are moving these beds more often considering their daily assessments and reruns. A few examples include damaged electrical outlets and sockets, frayed power cords, loosened parts of the bed frames and more. In more serious cases, the risk of electrocution or fire is a high concern with the bed motors, especially if lint or dust has gotten inside the casing. If your hospital bed has limited movement, unusual noises or burning odors, the bed is requiring immediate maintenance attention to prevent injury.

Infusion Pumps

IV therapy is a central component of all nursing programs because of their fundamental value in patient careOne of the most common problems is cracked doors and latches that occur when students load the tubing incorrectly. Unfortunately, students also have a tendency to pull out the spike from the IV bag while it is still hanging above the pump. When this happens, fluid pours out of the bag, all over the pump, and into the electronic components inside. Calling for preventative maintenance to ensure that there are no hazardous areas of the pump will save complications for instructors and ensure accurate student learning.

Headwalls

Simulation headwalls can be the most abused wall space in the entire room, especially when students are moving hospital beds around. Enthusiastic students can’t always keep the bed from colliding with the headwall when they move it into place. When this happens, IV poles that are mounted to the head of the bed frame cause damage to the lights, outlets, suction regulator dials, and paneling. Including preventative maintenance measures in a semester plan is helpful for your equipment and for the equipment those students will be using in a hospital one day. But because it cannot be entirely avoided, getting a basic maintenance check up headwalls will help keep the integrity and full function of headwalls maintained.

Defibrillators & AEDs

Defibrillators are lifesaving equipment, but only if they receive regular maintenance to keep them in good condition. Otherwise, they present a risk of electrocution for students, instructors, and sim lab staff. Regular preventive maintenance from certified biomedical technicians is essential to ensure that both defibrillators and AEDs are safe to use. An important note: all combination defibrillator/monitor units require special testing to ensure that their pacing, pulse oximetry, end tidal CO2, and blood pressure continue to function correctly. Sim lab staff should ensure that reusable defibrillator pads and electrodes are still in good condition so they will adhere to the manikins’ chests during mock code training. 

Ambulance & Transport Stretchers

Modern stretchers are complex devices with battery-powered hydraulic systems that can raise and lower patients with the touch of a button. They dramatically reduce strenuous lifting and risk of back injuries but they can cause serious injuries to students and standardized patients when they fail. The backrest and lift cylinders are the biggest culprits because they are used more often than not due to the most common type of injuries, and considering standard practice of care for patients who require an ambulance. When these cylinders wear out, the stretcher frame and/or backrest could drift down or collapse completely after being raised--non-powered stretchers are not without the risk either.They can also collapse if their undercarriages do not lock into place when patients are unloaded from the ambulance. In fact, this type of stretcher failure is a leading cause of injuries to EMS personnel and patients. 

Suggested wording - When these cylinders wear out, the stretcher frame and/or backrest could collapse after being raised - and non-powered stretchers are not without the risk, either. They can also collapse if their undercarriages do not securely lock into place. In fact, this type of stretcher failure is a leading cause of injuries to EMS personnel and patients. Sim lab staff should check to make sure that stretcher frames and backrests do not drift down from the raised position. This indicates that service is required because they are no longer functioning correctly.

Autoclaves

Steam sterilizers are an essential component of sterile processing and surgical technology programs to kill all types of microorganisms and spores from instruments. They are also powerful pieces of equipment that can cause severe burn injuries if preventive maintenance is not performed every six (6) to twelve (12) months. Keep in mind that door gaskets also require extensive care, as they protect instructors and students from the extreme heat and pressure within the autoclave. An autoclave explosion could even occur if a door gasket fails during a sterilization cycle! Chamber drain strainers are also prone to becoming clogged with debris, which can prevent the autoclave from reaching the correct temperature and pressure. Over time, a clogged drain line could become completely blocked so the autoclave cannot exhaust at all. When this happens, users could be seriously burned when they open the chamber door. 

Vital Signs Monitors

Vital signs monitors are found in every simulation lab as they display the heart rate, breathing rate, temperature and blood pressure in real time. Users might see nothing more than an error message if the monitor doesn’t receive regular preventive maintenance. Sometimes the damage is easy to see like a cracked screen, pinched cable or worn keypad. Other times, a more thorough inspection is needed to find and fix faulty internal connections or power supply issues. 

Ventilators and Anesthesia Machines

Mechanical ventilators are complex medical devices that keep patients alive when they cannot breathe on their own. Most ventilator alarms warn clinicians about changes in a patient’s respiratory status, but they sometimes indicate problems with the machine itself. This can be a major challenge for sim lab coordinators because most ventilators are not designed to be used in non-clinical environments like simulation labs. They require regular attention from biomedical technicians to ensure that the fans, sensors, alarms and other electrical components work correctly. Additional maintenance is required for anesthesia machines because they contain vaporizers that deliver medical gases to the patient. The vaporizers are the most expensive and precise components of anesthesia machines, and they require annual recalibration in order to accurately deliver anesthetic agents.

Nursing Simulation Staff Equipment Checks

Simulation laboratory staff Should work with preventative maintenance engineers to carefully inspect all medical equipment for early signs of damage or malfunction. This will help prevent more costly repairs later on when classes are in session. These equipment checks include: 

-Examine all electrical plugs and cords for excessive wear, fraying, pinching or cuts 

-Inspect all keypads for wear or damage and verify that each key functions correctly 

-Ensure that all doors open and close easily and latch in place

-Check all wheels and casters to make sure they roll smoothly and lock securely

-Make sure that all bed and stretcher side rails move and latch properly

Final thoughts

Most schools and training programs do not have certified biomedical technicians to care for their medical equipment. The DiaMedical USA National Service Network specializes in biomedical services and clinical engineering services including preventative maintenance and deport repairs for nearly all types of medical equipment. Our technicians work with facilities of all sizes, to help optimize efficiency and increase profitability. 

Repair and maintenance services are done on-site for large equipment such as hospital beds and surgical tables, while smaller items such as infusion pumps and defibrillators are sent to the DiaMedical USA service center. Annual preventive maintenance plans are also available to minimize equipment downtime and maximize operational efficiency. For more information about medical equipment repairs and maintenance plans, reach out to a DiaMedical USA Service Expert at 877-593-6011 or service@diamedicalusa.com.