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So a bit of background. I’m working in a healthcare facility. The facility has about nineteen other healthcare related facilities within a short radius, and that becomes important later. We have mobile carts that some of the Nurses need to take room to room to administer drugs and do other things related to patient care. The carts also have a laptop that the nurses are supposed to use to do various documentation at the patients room.

The problem is that due to the close proximity of these other healthcare facilities, many of theses nurses have the mentality that if they get fired, they’ll just go to another facility rather easily. That gets coupled with the fact that many of them refuse to do the documentation on the carts while in the room, leading to them wanting to be seated to do the documentation at the end of their shift, preferably while seated.

In turn, that leads to some significant physical damage as some of these folks try to get the laptop off the cart. For example, we got footage of one of the nurses actually strong arming the bracket the laptop is attached to until it bent and came off the cart. With a count of six carts, it’s not uncommon to replace three in a months time.

I mean, personally I think it’s mostly a personnel but I think management has given up and is looking for a technical solution.

11 Spice ups
2

We use carts that have monitor/keyboards/and mice on the, so the laptop (if they have one) most have zero clients, are under a lock and key. The carts are a bit more expensive, but it would solve the issue of having to replace them.

I’d be happy to discuss further if needed/wanted.

1 Spice up
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Been there, done that.

We provisioned a nearly identical setup for our nursing home. Same problem with saving all the work until the end of shift. One nurse with an “IT background” insisted on removing one of the laptops from the cart.

We put Kensington locks on the laptops with a very short cord so they simply cannot be removed from the carts.

We zip-tied the charging cords down to the cart.

We put clamps on the AC cord so they can’t break the unit when they wheel it away from the wall without unplugging it. (Several have managed to break the blades off the AC cord where it plugs into the wall. One managed to tip the cart over.)

You’re correct that it’s a management issue. You’re also correct that management has little interest in managing it.

6 Spice ups
4

That’s definitely a personnel issue.
maybe put a sticker on it saying, any tempering with or removing the device off the cart and damage will result in fine + cost to fix the damage such as replacement cart.
If the issue really is that they want to sit and document and need the laptop off the cart, maybe get them a wireless keyboard/mouse and attached a monitor as duplicate screen or even a wireless screen. That might save you $ on replacing the carts but will not resolve the root cause issue which you mentioned is discipline.

1 Spice up
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Sheesh. That’s a management thing. That’s not cool.

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There are carts that hold a small desktop in a locked area inside the cart (Intel NUC type PC). We have a couple of them from AMD Medical Devices. They are not cheap, but it prevents staff from trying to pull the computer off.

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Yea, I think moving to a desktop will eliminate the will and want to remove laptop and use it at a table. Or at least moving to a lockbox for the laptop, present computer screen, mouse and keyboard.

One of the hospital networks around here have laptop partially buried in a cart with only the screen exposed. They have an external slide out keyboard and mouse. The base of the laptop is under a plate providing work space that is a logical space for a tray or work book.