August 14, 2023 – Vanderbilt University Medical Center has launched its first virtual nursing program, with plans to expand it in the future.
The program, which went live at Vanderbilt University Hospital on July 17, is being piloted first on the 36-bed Ventricular Assist Device and Transplant Unit on the seventh floor of Medical Center East, a stepdown unit that includes heart patients.
Patients are asked for permission before they participate in the program. When the virtual nurse is ready to visit the patient, the nurse will virtually “knock,” asking if it’s OK to appear on camera. Only then will the high-resolution camera mounted on the ceiling turn on; otherwise, it is pointed up and cannot see the patient.
The virtual nurse appears on the patient room’s television/entertainment system, and the patient appears on the nurse’s monitor, part of an integrated technology system from vendor care.ai. Right now, the virtual nurses are physically located in a conference room on the seventh floor, along with other nursing informatics and technology representatives who are monitoring the new program in real time.