User needs of patients and nurses in clinical monitoring

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Abstract
Summary: Monitoring equipment can be uncomfortable and even painful when connected to a patient and its mere presence can produce anxiety. It is possible to reduce these effects to some extent, and by adequate explanation and reassurance to persuade the patient to accept techniques which are used in his own interest. The nursing staff will accept and use equipment, even though it is quite complex, if they are convinced primarily that it is necessary for the patient and reliable, and secondarily not too time consuming to look after. The equipment used for monitoring at the moment is too unreliable to be accepted confidently as a warning device. There is a need for much more reliable equipment in this field, but it is unlikely that the number of nurses required for an intensive care unit could be reduced. It is generally agreed that there is a need for a technician experienced in electronics equipment to maintain and service these machines.