Virtual Nursing: What is it? | Innovation

Jennifer Ball RN, BSN, MBA

You could also be wondering: why do we’d like “virtual” nurses if we do not have enough physical nurses on the bedside? That’s why we’d like them. Virtual RNs can support the team on the bedside, reducing workload and providing greater satisfaction for each patients and nursing staff. We are all aware of the present and future staffing challenges in healthcare, and that is one strategy to address them. It also provides opportunities for nurses who are not looking for to go away their job but have years of experience and knowledge to pursue a profession in a less physical position.

The concept is nothing latest…. telemedicine has been around for a few years, and the pandemic has helped us see how one of these care model may be utilized in many various ways to enhance the bedside team. Saint Health Care System Luke in Kansas City began implementing virtual nursing care before the pandemic in 2019. An awesome opportunity arose for us once we built a brand new 33-bed nursing unit at considered one of our facilities. This would allow us to design the care model, workflows, roles and implement the technology crucial to open the unit in early 2021.

It was essential that the model had an impact on each the nursing staff and the patient experience. We checked out what may very well be taken off the RN’s bedside plate and refilled in front of the nurse’s camera within the patient’s room. We included tasks corresponding to admission database, discharge teaching, medication reconciliation, completing procedure checklists, discharging the opposite nurse for medications/skin checks, general patient education/teaching, contacting families, answering questions, and the list goes on. When the virtual RN completes these elements, it frees up the RN’s time on the bedside in order that he or she will be able to have more time to fulfill the physical needs of pats, reply to call signals more quickly, and overall, have more time with patients.

Patients love this model because in the event that they need information, have a matter, cannot operate the TV, a virtual RN is at their fingertips. Our department modified the decision light to have a special button that permits the patient to directly call a virtual nurse. Response is provided quickly and the patient likes knowing that they are going to receive their virtual RN. They receive help from someone who knows their condition and may quickly meet their needs.

This didn’t occur overnight: we had a team of employees working on roles and responsibilities in addition to workflow in virtual RNs. During the peak of the pandemic in 2020, it was possible to determine several temporary teams, which allowed us to check our plan before the actual opening of the unit. This provided great insight into the advantages this role can bring to anyone. We hired staff before the unit opened and asked them to spend a while within the hospital to change into aware of our technology and the way we deliver care in our system. They gained experience as an admission or discharge nurse and learning our EMR.

Communication and team constructing are essential and can’t be emphasized enough. We had a day of team constructing and scenario discussion, so both sides of the care model understood what the priorities were for his or her partners. We are all one big staff and have shared staff meetings and education.

After almost 2 years of preparation and planning, the unit opened in February 2021. There was a whole lot of learning and staff needed to be flexible as we made changes on the fly to enhance processes and support workflows. Experience is unquestionably the very best teacher! The unit has been operating for over a yr and we’re expanding the model to additional units. We modified our workflow several times and learned so much from our staff and patients. We are grateful to everyone who helped us on this journey.

Lessons learned, you ask?

• You can never share an excessive amount of information, training and knowledge
• Staff should be flexible, like change and be willing to try latest things
• Start planning early, be able to adjust things, and get the technology in place early
• Involve everyone from the start: other disciplines and staff who can be exposed to the brand new care model

My final words of wisdom…..Enjoy! This is an adventure that may pave the way in which not just for nursing, but in addition for other disciplines that may need to use this model of care. And if you have got staff showing up on a 55-inch TV in your patient rooms, you may want to think about adding hair and makeup into your budget 😉