Charleston, S.C. – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health is among the first hospital systems in the nation to implement virtual nursing support within its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a move signaling a broadening application of telehealth technologies in specialized medical settings. The program, launched in January, utilizes nurses from VirtuAlly, a national virtual nursing and clinical support services provider, to augment the existing bedside team.
The collaboration builds on a previous partnership between MUSC Health and VirtuAlly, which saw the startup providing pediatric virtual nurses in the med-surg unit at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. According to a February 10th news release, the expansion to the NICU reflects the unique demands of caring for critically ill newborns.
“The NICU setting demands precision and constant coordination as our team cares for the most fragile patients in the hospital,” said Emily Warr, MSN, RN, administrator for the MUSC Center for Telehealth and a former NICU nurse. “Bringing the VirtuAlly partnership into the NICU strengthens our nursing coverage effectiveness, streamlines team-based nursing workflows for added efficiency, and helps ensure our newborns receive the highest level of care in the critical first days of their lives.”
VirtuAlly’s nurses, who average 13 years of clinical experience, provide support in several key areas, including real-time collaboration with bedside staff on safety initiatives, discharge education for families aimed at reducing readmissions, documentation assistance, and care coordination. They also offer orientation support for families navigating the complexities of the NICU, enhanced family education and communication, and translation services.
The Level IV NICU at MUSC is the only facility in South Carolina with the highest designation for neonatal care, making the implementation of virtual nursing support particularly significant. VirtuAlly’s Chief Nursing Officer, Angel Bozard, has stated that NICU care is complex on every level – medically, operationally, and administratively – highlighting the potential for virtual nurses to ease administrative burdens and allow bedside clinicians to focus on direct patient care.
The integration of VirtuAlly’s virtual nurses is designed to broaden the impact of bedside clinicians, according to the company. The program aims to improve workflows and expand staffing capacity within the NICU, addressing challenges related to the specialized expertise required for neonatal care.
