The use of whiteboards as communication tools in the hospital setting is backed by numerous medical research studies, but not every facility uses them the same way. While using hospital whiteboards to increase communication and patient care, they can also be used to increase patient comfort and satisfaction in their care. If you want your facility to stand out and provide the best level of care possible, here are a few creative uses for healthcare whiteboards that can help you accomplish just that.

Add Inspiring and Encouraging Words

Hospitals can be scary, anxiety-inducing and intimidating places. While this is especially true for children, it also rings true for adults of all ages. Waking up in an unfamiliar place can be scary, and waiting for an upcoming procedure can be a nerve-wrecking experience. While your patient room boards can be used to reduce anxiety by providing clear information, they can also be used by nurses and family members to display uplifting and encouraging messages to patients.

These messages can include a list of goals for the day, an inspirational quote, or messages left by friends and family members who came to visit. Sometimes simple words are enough to make a difference in someone's day, and they can also go a long way in impacting how satisfied they are with their hospital stay.

Draw a Picture

While words can go a long way in comforting patients, drawings can go even further by adding a pleasant distraction from what can often feel like a daily grind. The impact art has on patients is well documented, and drawing a picture on a whiteboard is a great way to add a bit of entertainment and comfort to a patient's day. This works especially well on children. You don't have to find a professional artist, but if someone on your staff is handy with a whiteboard pen, their daily drawings can go a long way in making patients feel more at home.

Color Code Information

Creatively using whiteboards isn't limited to writing messages and drawing pictures. Nurses and care teams can use them to quickly convey patient information to one another without writing detailed information on the board. One way to do this is to color code tidbits of information to denote things like:

• Fall risks
• Level of assistance needed to use the bathroom/get up and move around
• Food allergies

Shorthand symbols can also be used to denote this information without placing too much information on the board. This results in a less crowded, more streamlined set of patient information. 

Custom Whiteboards Make Anything Possible

Creating a custom whiteboard solution for your healthcare facility allows you to use your whiteboards in any way. The possibilities are limitless, and you can design and create your board in creative ways that match your brand, your facility's design and your treatment philosophy. Ready to begin designing your whiteboard solution? Contact Ghent Healthcare today.