Virtual nurse program brings seasoned clinicians to the bedside

To bolster new nurses at the bedside, Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner, La., started a virtual nurse program for its medical/surgical and telemetry units. The virtual nurses, who provide constant virtual support to the bedside nurse, are assigned a group of patients for whom they are responsible for during the duration of their shift. They lead communication efforts across all team members as they evaluate the patient’s progress, responses, clinical data and other aspects of the patient’s care. Among the benefits, the program has allowed the hospital to admit higher-acuity patients to the med/surg and telemetry units, improved patient mortality and readmission rates, enhanced nurse engagement and retention rates, and fostered team collaboration and nursing peer support. The program is profiled in the November issue of Voice of Nursing Leadership.