What is a virtual nurse?
Guthrie is committed to quality patient care and innovative delivery, which challenges us to think outside the box and expand the boundaries of traditional patient care. The virtual intensive care nurse will provide an additional layer of support to our bedside staff 24/7. This approach advances the delivery of high-quality and safe patient care.
The Patient Experience
Guthrie has high-resolution cameras and television monitors placed in our patient rooms to allow two-way observation and communication between the bedside nurse and the virtual nurse. The virtual nurse who is at an off-site location monitors patients’ vitals, utilizes technology to detect patterns and behaviors that can signal a clinical deterioration event and assists the bedside nurse. The virtual nurse will ask for permission before entering the room for a face-to-face interaction. The camera is never used for recording purposes.
The Nurse Behind the Scenes
Our virtual nurses are experienced critical care Registered Nurses who oversee the care of multiple patients using screens. The screens display the patients’ electronic medical records, a workflow too to stay on task with the bedside teams and the ability to remote into a patients room.
The virtual nurse works to prevent falls, ensure drug compliance, improve response time and provide patient and staff safety.
Designed by Nurses for Nurses
- A second set of eyes for monitoring a patient when the critical care nurse can’t be in the room
- Real-time caregiver support through monitoring
- The ability to “phone a friend” if the nurse is uncertain about a procedure or has a question
- A second person for documenting
- During a code event
- During procedures
- Discharge
- Bundle documentation
- Another nurse to respond to a critical event
- Ventilator management