Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
ADL
Reducing washing of unused (clean) linen
Keeping a stock of linen in the patient room, either by the bed or in the cupboard, is convenient but not always necessary. After discharge, the patient room is cleaned and any unused linen in the room is treated as used laundry and washed again.
Intervention
Critically assess the linen stock in patient rooms by, for example, using a separate linen trolley.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduction in the number of kilograms of linen washed.
Implementation approach
- Look at the approach for reducing the use of a product.
- Conduct a baseline and follow-up measurement* to assess the current situation. Use a sample to determine the amount of unused linen that remains after a patient is discharged. Record the quantity and type of linen items, such as sheets, pillowcases, blankets, draw sheets, towels, washcloths, patient gowns/pyjamas, and any other items relevant to the hospital.
- Reduce the stock kept in patient rooms by storing linen in a separate cabinet or trolley in the hallway or a designated storage room. If this is not possible on the ward, minimise the in-room stock to a one-day supply and document this in the implementation plan.
- 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 set goal has been achieved, with less unused linen being washed compared to before the implementation, and the difference in CO₂-equivalent (kg) has been calculated.
How is this measured?
Use the linen input tool** to calculate the total weight of the linen items and fill in the environmental impact calculator***.
Note: Other interventions may affect the results of this one. If the "Reducing linen use" intervention is implemented at the same time, it may strengthen the calculated environmental impact. Implement the "Reduce linen use" intervention at a different time to measure the effect accurately.
Resources
Click here for an example from the United Kingdom where they conducted a pre- and post-measurement and implemented a linen trolley in the corridor.
Footnotes
* Linen sample template to follow
** Linen input tool to follow
*** The environmental impact calculator to follow
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
ADL
Reducing absorbent mat use
Disposable absorbent mats are designed to absorb large amounts of body fluids from patients. In practice, they are also used for other purposes, such as wiping up spilled liquids on the floor. In many cases, a towel or collection tray will suffice. Because of their high consumption in hospitals, absorbent mats have a significant environmental impact1.
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.
General resources
Paper medication cup
Medication is often administered several times a day in plastic cups, which generates a large amount of waste. Paper medication cups suitable for liquids (containing less than 5% plastic) offer a more sustainable alternative. In some cases, however, a plastic cup remains necessary, for example when crushing medication.
