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Nurse FAQs
Follow the links below to navigate directly to specific questions.
- How can the sickest patients in the hospital be cared for via telemedicine?
- Who does procedures/emergency procedures if they are needed?
- What about patient privacy?
- How does the Advanced ICU Care program affect the way bedside nurses take care of their patients?
- Who staffs Advanced ICU Care's Monitoring Center?
- How do x-rays get to the eICU facility?
- How much time does it take for nurses to document using the technology?
- Will the Advanced ICU Care program affect nursing-to-patient ratios?
- What has been the feedback from the ICU nurses?
- How is the house staff supported by this program?
How can the sickest patients in the hospital be cared for via telemedicine?
Care of intensive care unit (ICU) patients using tele-ICU technology adheres to the highest standards for quality care. ICU patients are cared for quite effectively in this manner. Clinical decisions in the ICU are often based on a large and continuous stream of data (physiologic, laboratory, radiographic, etc.) and this data can be communicated electronically in real time. Informed caregivers can then perform the cognitive decision-making remotely.
Advanced ICU Care's intensivist-led program helps hospitals improve patient outcomes and support continuous quality improvements. Our hospital partners have found:
- 40 percent reduction in ICU mortality on average
- APACHE performance for ICU mortality is 25 percent better than predicted and performance for ICU length of stay is 14 percent better than predicted
We also deliver improved best practices for:
- Sepsis management
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention
- Glucose management
- And many others
Who does procedures/emergency procedures if they are needed?
All hospitals have processes in place to deal with common emergency procedures. These include dedicated in-house personnel (physician assistants, critical care nurse practitioners, house physicians, hospitalists, anesthesiology personnel and emergency department physicians) or specialty physicians on call from home (cardiologist for pacemaker, etc.). These processes remain in place, except that the call for the procedure would likely be initiated by the tele-ICU intensivist, after discussion with the attending physician. If surgical evaluation is required, the tele-ICU intensivist contacts the surgeon requested by the attending physician. Advanced ICU Care's intensivists coordinate these activities, maintaining the nurse at the bedside.
What about patient privacy?
Patient information is secure and confidential. The technology provides the highest level of electronic data security and meets the latest security and privacy recommendations of the federal government (HIPAA). While there is a camera, speaker and microphone in each room, this communication system is only activated by request from the bedside nurse or during prescribed "virtual rounds." It is readily apparent when the camera is activated (it moves from pointing at the wall to pointing at the patient's bed) and an audio signal is used to alert the nurse who may be in the patient's room. There is no capability for recording video or audio and patient privacy is respected when virtual rounds are required.
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How does the Advanced ICU Care program affect the way bedside nurses take care of their patients?
The Advanced ICU Care program helps nurses provide better patient care and reduces situations of fear and conflict. Nurses have a specialist available with immediate access to them, their patients and their charts and records. Nurses no longer need to find the right doctor on call, wake them up or wait for them to return a page. With the program, nurses can reach the tele-intensivist immediately.
Who staffs Advanced ICU's Monitoring Center?
The Advanced ICU Care's Monitoring Center is staffed by on-site board-certified intensivist physicians (all part of a single specialty practice), critical care nurses and healthcare assistants. Our critical care nurses have an average of 20 years of critical care experience. Our intensivists are fellowship-trained and board-certified.
How do x-rays get to Advanced ICU Care's clinicians?
If Advanced ICU Care's physician needs to view a patient's x-ray and a PACS system is not available, nurses may be asked to scan the x-ray to the Advanced ICU Care Monitoring Center. This requires just one push of a button and the technology does the rest.
How much time does it take for nurses to document using the technology?
The technology we use is designed to have little or no impact on nursing workflow. Nurses may be asked to update the patient care plan (one to two minutes per patient), but much of this information is also used to create the nursing sign-out report, which will print in the ICU at change of shift. This sign-out report provides a more accurate and efficient exchange of information to the next shift nurse.
Will the Advanced ICU Care program affect nursing-to-patient ratios?
The Advanced ICU Care program is not designed to replace anyone and in fact it adds a layer of care. Data has shown that reducing nursing-to-patient ratios has negatively impacted patient care. Advanced ICU Care's goal is to help healthcare systems manage costs through quality improvements, not personnel reductions.
What has been the feedback from the ICU nurses?
Reactions to the program among our hospital partners and their staffs have been overwhelmingly positive. Advanced ICU Care has improved work-life balance for the healthcare professionals at the bedside. The 24/7 support gives bedside nurses more opportunity to provide direct care to patients and their families and provides them with ongoing resources. Hospital partners have seen reduced turnover among nursing staff.
How is the house staff supported by this program?
Advanced ICU Care's intensivists are readily available to provide guidance and consultation to the house staff. The system is designed to support the house staff in learning and implementing best practices for critically ill patients.