Sentara equips nurses with smartphones to improve communication

Sentara Health, based in Norfolk, Va., is providing every nurse and physician with a smartphone to reduce care gaps and time spent searching for colleagues so they can spend more time with patients. AONL member Christy Grabus, MHA, RN, CNO at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Alexandria, believes the smartphones will improve workflow and patient safety, while other executives expect them to lessen staff stress and burnout. The smartphones enable users to use one device to communicate across the system, scan barcodes, submit orders, photograph wounds, check medications and access the electronic health record. (HealthLeaders Media article, 11/26/24)