Future-Ready Nurse Call Systems: Key Trends Shaping Patient Care in 2026 and Beyond

Nurse Call Systems are no longer just “press button, wait for nurse” solutions. Across Brunei and Southeast Asia, hospitals, clinics and aged-care facilities are upgrading to intelligent, integrated platforms that improve patient safety, optimise workflows and support overstretched nursing teams.

Driven by technology-enabled care, mobile communications and data analytics, the global Nurse Call System market is projected to surpass USD 4 billion by 2031. For healthcare providers in our region, understanding these trends is essential to planning future-proof investments, whether you operate a tertiary hospital in Bandar Seri Begawan or a community clinic in a secondary town.

1. From Simple Alerts to Smart, Integrated Communication Hubs

Traditional nurse call systems operated in isolation, with basic bed units and corridor lights. Modern platforms are evolving into smart communication hubs that integrate with core hospital systems:

• Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR) – Calls can be associated with patient profiles, enabling staff to view critical information (allergies, fall risk, care plan) alongside the alert. This supports faster, safer decision-making.
• Link to hospital communication platforms – Nurse call events can trigger notifications on secure messaging apps, VoIP handsets or clinical communication platforms already used by your teams.
• Connection to building systems – Through MEP and low-current integration, calls and alarms can be linked to lighting, access control and CCTV, improving visibility and response in emergencies.

For healthcare organisations in Brunei, this means a Nurse Call System is best planned as part of a larger ICT and low-voltage strategy, not as a stand-alone purchase. Early coordination between IT, biomedical engineering, MEP and clinical leadership ensures better outcomes and lower lifecycle cost.

2. Mobile-First & RTLS-Enabled Workflows

One of the most significant trends is the shift towards mobile, location-aware nurse call workflows:

• Mobile integration – Modern systems route patient calls directly to smartphones or dedicated mobile devices carried by nurses. This reduces overhead paging, shortens response times and improves patient satisfaction.
• RTLS (Real-Time Location Systems) – Using Wi-Fi, BLE or RFID tags, RTLS can detect when a caregiver enters a patient’s room and automatically clear or update the call status. This “nurse call automation” minimises manual steps and improves documentation accuracy.
• Role-based routing – Calls can be sent to the right on-duty caregiver based on role, zone or skill set, instead of ringing at a central desk and adding delays.

In busy wards, especially in regional hospitals or private facilities with limited staff, these capabilities help reduce alarm fatigue and ensure urgent cases are prioritised. For Southeast Asian environments where coverage and device management can be challenging, careful RF design, Wi-Fi planning and device lifecycle management are critical parts of the project.

Practical Tips: Planning a Mobile-Enabled Nurse Call Deployment

• Assess your wireless infrastructure – Ensure Wi-Fi coverage, roaming and QoS are robust enough for real-time alerts.
• Standardise clinical devices – Define which smartphones, DECT phones or rugged handsets will be supported to avoid fragmentation.
• Plan escalation rules – Configure automatic escalation when a call is not answered within a set time, ensuring no patient is overlooked during peak hours.

3. Analytics, Reporting and AI-Ready Data

As healthcare moves towards digital-first, data from Nurse Call Systems is becoming a valuable input for quality improvement, staffing and safety initiatives:

• Operational analytics – Dashboards can show average response times, busiest periods, frequently used call types and high-risk zones. This supports better rostering and process redesign.
• Compliance and accreditation – Detailed event logs provide evidence for audits, incident reviews and accreditation processes common across the region.
• AI and predictive insights – While still emerging, combining nurse call data with EHR and bed management information can help identify trends, such as increased call frequency that may signal patient deterioration or staffing issues.

With the global move toward AI-enhanced healthcare, having structured, well-governed data from your Nurse Call System positions your facility for future capabilities like smart triaging and automated early-warning indicators.

Practical Tips: Getting Value from Nurse Call Data

• Define KPIs early – Examples include average response time by ward, response time to emergency calls, and calls per patient-day.
• Engage nursing leadership – Let clinical leaders co-design the reports they need for daily operations and monthly reviews.
• Ensure data governance – Work with IT to secure data, control access, and comply with local privacy regulations and internal policies.

4. Patient-Centred Design, Safety and Future-Proofing

Beyond technology, modern Nurse Call Systems must address usability, safety and long-term flexibility:

• Accessible and inclusive design – Large, clearly marked buttons; pull cords in toilets; and accessible handsets for elderly, paediatric and mobility-impaired patients improve safety and satisfaction.
• Flexible zoning – As facilities in Brunei and the region reconfigure for isolation wards, step-down units or surge capacity, the system must support quick reallocation of beds and zones without complex rewiring.
• Interoperability and open standards – To avoid vendor lock-in and ease integration with future solutions (RTLS, telemetry, clinical communication tools), select platforms that support open APIs and standard protocols.

Practical Tips: Specifying a Future-Ready Nurse Call System

• Involve stakeholders early – Include nursing, IT, facilities, infection control and finance in requirements gathering.
• Plan for expansion – Design cabling, network and controller capacity for at least 5–10 years of growth.
• Prioritise service and training – Ensure local support, spare parts availability and comprehensive user training for both clinical and technical staff.

Conclusion: Turning Nurse Call Systems into Strategic Assets

In 2026 and beyond, a Nurse Call System is not just a regulatory requirement; it is a strategic platform that supports patient safety, staff efficiency and data-driven decision-making. For healthcare providers in Brunei and across Southeast Asia, aligning nurse call investments with broader ICT, security and MEP strategies ensures better outcomes and long-term value.

If you are planning a new healthcare facility, upgrading an ageing system, or exploring mobile and RTLS integration, our team can help you design, deploy and maintain a future-ready Nurse Call System tailored to your clinical workflows and local regulatory requirements. Contact us today to discuss your project, request a site assessment or schedule a consultation with our healthcare technology specialists.