CHI Health St. Elizabeth Launches Virtual Nursing Care in Lincoln

With the nursing shortage projected to continue for the next decade, CHI Health St. Elizabeth is launching another layer of care that will help attract and retain nurses while also caring for patients in a groundbreaking manner.

Through CommonSpirit Health’s Virtually Integrated CareSM (VIC) model, St. Elizabeth’s medical-surgical and progressive care units will now incorporate video conferencing technology and dedicated devices in every patient room. CommonSpirit Health’s virtual nursing team will collaborate directly with St. Elizabeth bedside nurses. This will allow staff on the floor to focus more on hands-on care, while allowing virtual nurses to assist with things like:

• Regular patient rounding

• Care planning

• Communication with patients and families

• Providing patient education

• Supporting timely discharges (vital for reducing length of stay)

Designated patient rooms will be outfitted with a specially designed Virtual Care Delivery Platform (VCDP), an all-in-one computer system that is user-friendly for both patients and staff through a touchscreen interface.

“Our nurses do lifesaving work every day,” said Jenny Stachura, MSN, RN, PCCN-K, CHI Health St. Elizabeth & Nebraska/Iowa Market Chief Nursing Officer. “With our virtual teams now taking on many important, time-consuming tasks, our floor nurses can further focus on essential face-to-face care with their patients. The added support not only enhances patient care and experience, but helps prevent nursing burnout through more collaboration and teamwork.”

The VIC model also further reinforces St. Elizabeth’s standing as a Magnet with Distinction organization, an international benchmark for providing the highest and most elite nursing excellence and safety.