Virtual nursing unit yields positive outcomes

AONL member Susie Krug, chief nursing officer at Saint Luke's East Hospital in Lee's Summit, Mo., launched a virtual nursing unit in 2018, which is drawing the attention of health systems across the country. Located in the Saint Luke’s Health System technology center in Kansas City, the nurse-managed unit uses a telemedicine platform to connect nurses in the center with patient rooms. Virtual nurses monitor patients and enter data in the medical record, freeing up nurses on the unit to provide more hands-on care. Saint Luke’s says both patients and nurses like the system, which has improved discharge times and reduced wait times for beds. (HealthLeaders Media article, 2/15/22)