Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
Monitoring parameters
Reusable blood pressure cuff
Measuring a patient’s blood pressure is an essential part of patient care. Nurses can do this using either disposable or reusable blood pressure cuffs.
Intervention
Replace disposable blood pressure cuffs with reusable blood pressure cuffs.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduction in the number of disposable blood pressure cuffs and the reuse of blood pressure cuffs.
Implementation approach
Look at the approach for implementing a (reusable) product and consult the step-by-step guide for more information on setting goals, implementation, and evaluation.
When is it implemented?
This intervention is considered implemented when the nursing units in the hospital have switched to reusable blood pressure cuffs and the difference in CO₂-equivalent (kg) has been calculated.
How is this measured?
The environmental impact of this intervention can be determined using purchasing data for the number of disposable blood pressure cuffs, see the procedure for measuring an intervention using purchasing data.
Resources
Click here for an example where Radboud UMC switched to reusable blood pressure cuffs, and click here for the infographic. This resulted in an annual reduction of 2812 kg of plastic waste.
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
Monitoring parameters
Reusable transport bag for laboratory samples
Nurses collect various samples for diagnostic testing. For transport to the laboratory, different single-use containers such as cups, bags, or kidney trays are currently used and then discarded. A reusable transport container is a more sustainable alternative.
ADL
Reducing linen use
Linen is used for many different purposes. Reducing linen use is not only better for the environment but also benefits patients by helping to prevent pressure ulcers. The do-not-do recommendations1 advises: “Avoid or limit unnecessary layers underneath the patient, such as linen, positioning materials, cellulose mats, incontinence materials, clothing, and bedding.”
