UK HealthCare implements innovation units for virtual nursing launch
Starting April 14, UK HealthCare will begin its implementation of virtual nursing – an innovative care delivery model designed to enhance support for bedside nurses. Two units within Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Pavilion A - 6.100 and Pavilion H - 6th floor, have been designated as “innovation units” for the launch and will be the first to implement virtual nursing. Feedback from nurses in these innovation units will help shape the future of virtual nursing within UK HealthCare.
“Innovation units give us the chance to test things out, while knowing that we are going to be learning and adapting as we go,” said Jessica Collins, DNP, NI-BC, chief nursing information officer. “Our nurses are helping us trial the newest technology and develop it.”
Virtual Nursing: A Collaborative Approach
A primary goal of the virtual nursing model is to help ease the workload for bedside nurses by offloading certain tasks to a virtual nurse. “We want to be able to give more support and resources to the bedside nurse – especially by having the right expertise there when it’s needed,” explained Kim Blanton, DNP, MHA, chief nursing officer for Chandler Hospital, who noted that the virtual nursing model will be especially helpful for newer or less experienced nurses.
One of the primary tasks virtual nurses will take on is ADT (admission-discharge-transfer) workflows. This documentation, while crucial, can be challenging to complete amid competing bedside priorities. Under the virtual nursing model, the bedside nurse will connect the patient to a virtual nurse through a video call. The virtual nurse will then work one-on-one with the patient to complete all required admission and discharge documentation. The idea is that the virtual nurse can help ensure these tasks are completed thoroughly and accurately – while simultaneously reducing the physical and cognitive load for bedside nurses.
In UK HealthCare’s innovation units, a virtual nurse will also help with patient discharge education, remote dual sign for medication administration, and scenarios where a second set of eyes are needed, such as wound assessment.
“We have a workforce shortage in America for healthcare – and we know this,” said Blanton. “Anytime you can have extra hands in some way to help you as a nurse, it is going to make for a good day. I look at this as an opportunity for collaboration.”
“We want to be able to give more support and resources to the bedside nurse – especially by having the right expertise there when it’s needed." - Kim Blanton, chief nursing officer, Albert B. Chandler Hospital
Putting Technology to the Test
The two units selected for the launch of virtual nursing offer an opportunity to test the model across different care settings and technologies. In Pavilion H, where virtual nursing will first be implemented on the 6th and 7th floors, patients will connect to the virtual nurse on either an iPad provided by UK HealthCare or on their own personal mobile device, through MyChart Bedside. In Pavilion A – 6.100, where patient rooms are already outfitted with mounted cameras and speakers, patients will interact with the virtual nurse on their room’s television screen. Comparing these two approaches will help determine what works best for both nurses and patients.
“It'll be really interesting to see what patients prefer,” said Collins. “Do they prefer holding the device in their hand and video-calling the virtual nurse, or do they want to see the nurse on the TV? And so that's really the whole point of an innovation unit, is seeing what works best for everyone.”
A Hybrid Staffing Model
UK HealthCare’s virtual nursing workflow will utilize a hybrid staffing model, allowing nurses to rotate between the bedside and virtual nurse roles. Collins says there is evidence that this hybrid approach can help reduce burnout and increase nurse satisfaction – as nurses gain opportunities for more varied work, increased bedside support and mentorship.
“When this [virtual nursing model] was discussed with the bedside nurses on these floors, one of the nurses had been ready to find a different job. She was ready to take a break and do something different. Because of this virtual nursing program, she's decided to stay now. So, we're already seeing it improve retention,” said Collins.
Training for the nurses in the innovation units began in late March. Virtual nursing will roll out on April 14, in Pavilion A - 6.100 and Pavilion H-6, with an additional floor, Pavilion H-7, being added a few weeks later. Near the start of summer, nursing and hospital leadership will assess the model and its potential for expansion. In addition to nurse satisfaction and retention, metrics such as length of patient stay, discharge time and documentation will also be considered.
“I think nurses often feel like they're a little bit on the back burner of technology and they are just given new technology and don't really get a say. In an innovation unit, they are really the boots on the ground. They're the first people to say – this isn't going to work,” Collins said. “I really want nurses to understand that their voices are important.”
Originally posted in the Loop: UK HealthCare Implements Innovation Units for Virtual Nursing Launch