The vast majority of hospital L&D departments record newborn footprints shortly after birth as part of the medical record and also as a keepsake for the parents to take home. Like fingerprints, footprints are unique and can be used as a form of identification for the newborn, in the event that the identity of the newborn is called into question. 93% of hospitals record newborn footprints for both feet.
Traditionally, recording footprints required a healthcare professional to apply ink onto the newborn’s feet and then carefully press and roll the feet onto paper. It is a messy process that can be improved with the use of inkless foot printers. A recent nationwide survey of L&D nurses, conducted by TechValidate indicates that nearly half of all hospitals use inkless footprinters to record newborn footprints. The chart below lists the top benefits of using inkless footprinters, which makes it easy to understand why so many hospitals are moving toward the inkless method.
1. No Mess to Clean Up – Saves Time
In a busy L&D unit, time is precious. Using an inkless footprinter allows caregivers to quickly record footprints and not waste any time or hassle with messy ink cleanup. Ink can be difficult to clean from delicate newborn skin and it can get smeared on the surfaces of medical equipment, blankets, and even on the parents. Using an inkless method saves time so nurses can spend more time on patient care.
“THEY MAKE GOOD PRINTS WITHOUT THE MESS OF OUR BABIES HAVING INK ALL OVER THEM AND EVERYTHING ELSE.”
2. Does Not Expose Newborn Skin to Ink
While 79% of L&D nurses cited that avoiding skin-to-ink contact was the most important feature of a footprinter, 84% consider it important to avoid skin-to-ink contact with a newborn’s skin for safety reasons. Newborn skin is thin and delicate. Using the least invasive form of recording identification footprints is preferred for delivering a better patient experience.
3. A Keepsake for Parents
When it comes to footprint identification, inkless foot printers don’t just offer advantages for record keeping and identification; it can also serve as a memorable keepsake to commemorate the birth of the newest family member. Parents love this and it helps improve the patient experience. In fact, there are products marketed specifically to parents that make it easier for them to make and display their child’s infant footprints as art.
4. Increased Nurse Satisfaction
A birth center director specifically cited increased nurse satisfaction as an outcome from switching to inkless footprinters. Nurses agree that no messy ink on newborn babies feet or hands helps save them time and hassle. Another nurse stated, “inkless footprinters are easy and manageable to use even when you are multi-tasking.” This overall satisfaction with the no-mess factor even reaches parents. A director of women’s services stated, “Parents love that they don’t get ink all over their fingers or the newborn’s feet.”
5. Supports Safety Standards
Safety should always be a top priority and in fact, when asked, over 53% of healthcare professionals answered that supporting their hospital’s safety standards was a key benefit of using inkless foot printers. Another reason given was compliance with healthcare regulatory standards such as The Joint Commission, and HIPAA.
Try Inkless Footprinters to See for Yourself
If your hospital is using inked footprinters, why not sample and trial inkless footprinters? As the survey concludes, you will likely find that nurses and patients overwhelmingly prefer the inkless method. PDC Healthcare is the inventor and manufacturer of Kleen-Print®, which is America’s #1 brand of inkless footprinters. Request a sample today or learn more online.
