Trident Medical Center piloting virtual nursing in patient rooms

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Healthcare officials are working to expand telehealth care.

Trident Medical Center on 9330 Medical Plaza Drive started using virtual nurses in patient rooms in October.

Officials say the medical center is piloting the program as one of the 186 HCA healthcare system hospitals. Virtual nurses assist patients through monitors during key moments of care such as admission and discharge.

Bedside nurses lose 30 minutes of time to get the information needed. These moments gather the patient’s family contacts, past medical and medication history for ideal care.

This change in telehealth aims to ease the workload of bedside nurses by getting that information for them. Officials say this work is a partnership to give more time to the in-person nurse’s day.

Virtual nurses or “buddies” as referred to by staff are registered and experienced nurses. Chief Nursing Officer Jenn Freund says this care is an optional, personal and uninterrupted care that does not replace the bedside nurse.

“The bedside nurse is the most essential piece of the patient’s journey with us… this is an added support,” Freund says. “Many times throughout the day, you wish you had one extra additional resource and what virtual nursing allows us to do is really have that person that can partner throughout the patient’s journey.”

The virtual service is used in medical, surgical and stepdown units at the center. These patients consent to the virtual nurse after a “knock” introduction through speakers in the room. The nurse appears on the monitor for a two-way visual conversation with the patient.

Trident Medical Center nurse Mallory Weaber worked with virtual nursing since the program began. Weaber says spending the time to get the vital information was difficult during emergencies. Weaber says this work feels like just another addition to the team.

“You have to do phone calls to family or to pharmacies and these admission nurses can really sit down and take the time to do all of that as well,” Weaber says. “You’re trying to figure out everything that has happened to them pretty much ever since they were born. You can think of how long that can take with some elderly patients.”

Officials say people became used to telehealth during COVID-19. Senior adults adapted to virtual care quickly to keep up with their appointments. Freund says this work expands on existing telehealth platforms.

Officials say they are evaluating the information on the change with other hospitals to make improvements.

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