Virtual Nursing Implementation on a Medical-Surgical Cardiac Unit to Prevent Hospital Acquired Infections

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are both preventable and costly. Although substantial evidence supports the role of virtual nurses in intensive care in improving patient outcomes, research on their role in the medical-surgical unit, including HAI reduction, remains limited. The aim of the project was to expand the virtual nurse role in a medical-surgical unit to include HAI surveillance, specifically Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections and Central-Line Bloodstream Infections, to reduce current central line and urinary catheter utilization and prevent HAI infections. For this project virtual nursing was implemented in a 24-bed medical surgical cardiac unit to support the bedside nurse as a partner in care by assisting with HAI surveillance, admissions and discharges, patient rounds, and patient education.