Story Reposted Originally on Nurse.org.
Sinai Hospital Virtual Nurses to Help Bedside Nurses
Sinai Hospital, a part of LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, Maryland, has recently implemented a Virtual Nursing Pilot Program, according to WMAR 2 Baltimore article “Virtual nursing program eases workload at Sinai Hospital.” This initiative aims to address several critical challenges in healthcare delivery by leveraging technology to support the nursing workforce and enhance patient care.
About the Virtual Nursing Pilot Program
Sinai Hospital’s Progressive Care Unit (PCU), in addition to its bedside nurses, has begun using virtual nurses to help with tasks such as admissions, education, and discharges.
The virtual nursing is done by a real nurse on-site within the hospital, who handles these tasks virtually, similar to a Zoom call.
Program Goals
According to the pilot program lead, Carrie McAteer, the program is meant to lighten nurses’ workload by doing “non-touch tasks for our nursing staff.” They also report that it’s intended to help with their nurses’ increased stress and burnout rates, as well as improve patient care.
It’s a real person, but she’s just virtual; it’s like a Zoom call, like a FaceTime, and she’s able to do those non-touch tasks for our nursing staff.
Carrie McAteer
Lead on the Virtual Nursing Pilot Program
Learn more about what it’s like working at Sinai Hospital in the Diallo, Simulation Technician, blog post.
Learn more about career opportunities and find your fit in Maryland hospitals and health systems now at JoinMdHealth.org/careers.