A system comprising: a remote computer device; a patient bed in communication with the remote computer device, the patient bed having circuitry operable by a user to obtain at least one software application from the remote computer device; at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) located in a patient room with the patient bed, wherein the remote computer device has stored therein device application software associated with the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340), wherein the device application software is downloaded to the circuitry of the patient bed, and wherein the patient bed has a user interface that is configured to be used to provide inputs to the device application software for control of the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340); and an authentication software module that is configured to be executed prior to the user being permitted to communicate with and/or control the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340), the authentication software module further being configured to: verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed, the at least one software application being unusable on the patient bed until verification has occurred; and verify that the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) is authenticated when the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) establishes communication with the circuitry of the patient bed, prior to permitting use of the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340). a remote computer device; a patient bed in communication with the remote computer device, the patient bed having circuitry operable by a user to obtain at least one software application from the remote computer device; at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) located in a patient room with the patient bed, wherein the remote computer device has stored therein device application software associated with the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340), wherein the device application software is downloaded to the circuitry of the patient bed, and wherein the patient bed has a user interface that is configured to be used to provide inputs to the device application software for control of the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340); and an authentication software module that is configured to be executed prior to the user being permitted to communicate with and/or control the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340), the authentication software module further being configured to: verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed, the at least one software application being unusable on the patient bed until verification has occurred; and verify that the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) is authenticated when the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) establishes communication with the circuitry of the patient bed, prior to permitting use of the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340). verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed, the at least one software application being unusable on the patient bed until verification has occurred; and verify that the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) is authenticated when the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340) establishes communication with the circuitry of the patient bed, prior to permitting use of the at least one patient care device (314, 316, 350, 324, 336, 338, 340).