Sentara launches virtual nursing to enhance patient care delivery

Margaret Roberts, 72, had just settled into her room on the tenth floor of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital when the TV alerted her she had an incoming video call from a Sentara virtual nurse. She was expecting this call, as her bedside nurse had informed her that her admission would be completed by a virtual nurse.

A medical-grade camera above the TV switched on, and a remotely located nurse appeared on the TV screen. After introducing himself, the virtual nurse welcomed Roberts, explained the virtual nursing process, and started the admission by asking pertinent questions about her health and medical history.

Afterward, Roberts said, “If my eyes were closed, I would have thought he was in the room.”

The new virtual nursing system was “very efficient,” added Roberts.

As the healthcare industry faces ongoing workforce challenges, Sentara Health is implementing a virtual nursing system to reduce administrative workload and assist with tasks such as patient admissions, discharges, and patient education.

Sentara launched virtual nursing at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital at the end of 2024 and plans to rapidly expand this innovative system to all 12 Sentara hospitals starting this month and continuing through October 2025. The virtual nursing system will provide 24/7 virtual nursing support to almost 1,800 beds.

“Bedside nurses, who remain the key part of the nursing care team, will be supported and assisted by virtual registered nurses,” said Jaime Carroll, vice president of clinical support services, who is leading implementation of the new care delivery system.

“The partnership between the virtual and bedside nursing teams provides seamless care, and, according to some patients, a more personal approach to their care,” said Carroll.

“The virtual nurses perform all components of the admission and discharge processes, as well as patient education, that do not require a hands-on approach. This frees up time for the bedside nurses to focus on the care that requires the physical presence and touch of a nurse.”

Patient Margaret Roberts said the virtual nursing system was very “very efficient.”

A proven way to improve nurse satisfaction and patient experience

Danielle Gillespie, a bedside nurse who has been with Sentara for 23 years, said the new virtual nurses lessen the burden on beside nurses, who juggle everything from documentation, administering medications, and addressing complex patient care needs.

“I love the virtual nurses because they really help us,” said Gillespie. “Now, if I get an admission or discharge, I can gather the things I need and request a virtual nurse. Then I can see to my other patients or whatever else is going on in the unit.”

Sentara’s leaders studied how other healthcare organizations deployed virtual nurses by visiting and evaluating lessons learned at Houston Methodist Hospital, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Orlando Regional Medical Center.

“We found virtual nursing led to improved nurse satisfaction and decreased nurse turnover,” said Carroll. “Hospitals also reported improvements in patient experience scores, as well as better patient understanding of discharge instructions. In addition, with virtual nurses, patients usually receive quicker discharges.”

“It's a game-changer,” Carroll added.

Virtual nurses will support patients in Sentara’s medical-surgical and intermediate care units, which see the most admissions and discharges.

In the future, in addition to helping with admissions, discharges, and patient education, they will be able to double-check high-risk medications, review and monitor the status of patients, and potentially perform other duties not required by a nurse at the bedside.

Danielle Gillespie, a bedside nurse, said the new virtual nurses lessen the burden on beside nurses.

Joining the care team remotely

Sentara’s new team of virtual nurses work from a secure location at Sentara Independence Medical Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Every virtual nurse on the team has at least five years of experience, though the average is 14 years.

Cheryl Gallahue, one of the new virtual nurses, previously worked at the bedside, and has been with Sentara for almost 15 years.

“Interactions with patients are the same, just virtual,” she said. “The patient response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“One patient told me he loved the virtual discharge process. He said, ‘The only bad thing, Cheryl, is I wish I could give you a hug before I leave.”

The bedside nurses have been “ecstatic” about having virtual nurses as part of their care team, Gallahue said.

“The bedside nurses have responded really well,” she said. “They’re really grateful.”

Sentara’s new team of virtual nurses work from a secure location.