Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
Monitoring parameters
Reusable pulse oximeters
Measuring a patient’s oxygen saturation is an essential part of patient care. Due to their high consumption in hospitals, disposable pulse oximeters have a considerable environmental impact.
Intervention
Replace disposable pulse oximeters with reusable pulse oximeters.
Exclusion: Neonatal departments due to the different sizes of pulse oximeters used for neonates.
Exclusion: Pediatric departments due to the different sizes of pulse oximeters used for small children and neonates.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduction in the number of disposable pulse oximeters and the reuse of pulse oximeters.
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 was implemented when nursing wards in the hospital switched to reusable pulse oximeters and the difference in kg of CO2 equivalent has been calculated.
How is this measured?
The environmental impact of this intervention can be determined using the purchase data for the number of disposable pulse oximeters, see method of measuring intervention with purchasing data.
Resources
click here for a fact sheet about the savings that can be achieved when switching to reusable pulse oximeters.
Footnotes
- Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers. (June 2024). National inventory of UMCs medical disposables.
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
General resources
Reducing glove use
Nurses use large quantities of non-sterile gloves during patient care. There are three situations where gloves are required: 1) when caring for patients in isolation 2) when there is a risk of contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids 3) when preparing certain medications. Wearing gloves as a standard practice is not recommended1. Due to the high consumption rates in hospitals, gloves have a considerable environmental impact2.
Nursing practice
Reducing maintenance IV flow rate
A maintenance IV with NaCl 0.9% at a flow rate of 5 ml/hour is often used to keep the IV line open for patients not receiving intravenous medication. Reducing the pump rate to 2 ml/hour lowers NaCl 0.9% use, allowing for smaller infusion bags or less frequent bag replacement. This is more sustainable and reduces material consumption.
Nursing practice
Containers made from recycled plastic for specific hospital waste
Nursing units produce large amounts of waste, including specific hospital waste (SHW). Nurses collect this waste in separate SHW containers, also known as WIVA containers, identifiable by their blue bins with yellow lids. A more sustainable alternative made from recycled plastic has been developed, recognisable by its grey colour.
