By Haley Holmes
Feb 22, 2024
Are you short of skilled nursing workforce? You need not worry if you don’t have enough professionally trained and certified bedside nurses. Virtual nurses are there to supplement your bedside nursing team. Yes, virtual nurses can support your team at the bedside, bringing in several benefits to both patients and your nursing staff. No wonder, more and more medical practices are implementing the virtual nursing model to help mitigate nurse staffing shortages, while improving patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. Let us in this blog post explore what a virtual nurse is and the variety of tasks they can handle.
What is a virtual nurse?
The concept of virtual nursing is not something new. Telemedicine has been around for years and it is the pandemic that made us see how this kind of care model can be used to augment and supplement the bedside team. Well, a virtual nurse refers to a registered nurse (RN) or healthcare professional who utilizes technology to provide healthcare services remotely. They leverage various technologies, such as telehealth platforms, video calls, or even text messages to interact with patients, offer medical advice, and assist in managing health-related concerns. In short, a virtual nurse can perform a variety of tasks that does not necessarily require physical presence
What are the tasks that virtual nurses can handle remotely?
1. Telehealth consultations: Virtual nurses can conduct remote consultations with patients to assess symptoms, answer general health-related questions, and also provide guidance on self-care. 2. Patient Education: They provide information about medical conditions, treatment options, and medications. They also offer guidance on lifestyle changes and preventive care. 3. Medication management: They remind patients to take their medications on time and also explain about the potential side effects and dosage regime. 4. Health monitoring: Virtual registered nurses can monitor patients' vital signs and other health metrics remotely. They can also alert the in-person staff in case of any signs of deterioration. 5. Chronic disease management: Remote nurses can support patients with chronic conditions in managing their conditions effectively. They can also offer guidance on diet, exercise, and self-care. 6. Remote monitoring: Virtual registered nurses monitor patients with chronic conditions or those recovering from surgery remotely. They also notify healthcare providers in case of deviations in expected rate of recovery. 7. Emotional support: They offer emotional support and counseling to patients dealing with stress, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. 8. Wound care guidance: They perform routine wound assessments and provide instructions on wound care through video calls. 9. Symptom assessment: Virtual nurses assess patient symptoms to determine the seriousness and urgency of care needed. Based on this they decide whether they need immediate attention or if self-care measures will suffice. 10. Appointment scheduling and follow-ups: They assist physicians in scheduling appointments and also in sending reminders about upcoming appointments.
Conclusion
Virtual nursing holds immense promise in enhancing healthcare accessibility, efficiency, and convenience. Virtual nurses help to overcome staffing shortages and support onsite nurses in providing patient care. Yes, they play a supportive role that reduces the demanding workload while enhancing patient and onsite nursing staff satisfaction levels. If you are looking to integrate virtual nurses into your medical practice, consider partnering with Scribe4Me. We have a team of registered nurses available 24/7 to help you save time, improve patient outcomes and enhance overall patient experience. For more details on our staffing solutions get in touch with us today.
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Haley Holmes
Haley Holmes
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