A Low Power, Long Range, Portable Wireless Nurse Call System

Abstract

A nurse call system is a valuable tool for improving patient care and optimizing hospital staff utilization. By providing efficient and attentive care, patients are more likely to feel comfortable and recover more quickly. Nurse call systems come in two main types: wired and wireless. While wired systems offer many advantages, they can be difficult to install, particularly in established hospitals. Therefore, we will focus on wireless nurse call systems in this paper because they are easy to install, portable, and flexible. However, wireless nurse call systems have some limitations, including battery life and coverage range. To address these issues, we propose a solution that utilizes LORA connectivity. This technology uses less power and has a longer range, eliminating the need for additional repeaters. Our proposed system uses push buttons at the patient station to communicate with an Arduino Nano, which transmits patient information via a LORA SX 1278 transceiver to the nurse station. The LORA transceiver at the nurse station receives the signal and sends it to the Arduino Nano, which controls four 8x8 led matrix displays through a MAX7219 IC. Based on our research, we conclude that incorporating LORA technology into wireless nurse call systems can make them more battery-efficient and offer longer range coverage. This solution can greatly improve patient care and help hospitals optimize their staff utilization.