Health systems are looking for new ways to help clinicians practice at the top of their license. One avenue they are exploring is creating support roles that can take on nonclinical and time-consuming care tasks.
Here are the support roles three systems are using to free up nurse and physician time, while improving patient care.
CommonSpirit
The Chicago-based system is utilizing two support roles to improve care.
First, its virtual nurses have taken over medication reconciliation.
“It’s always been a difficult, time-consuming process that often comes with errors and spans multiple organizations,” Tim Plante, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer of the central region of CommonSpirit, told Becker’s. “The reason is that it requires a lot of research. Sometimes you have to call pharmacies to make sure you have the correct medication list for a patient when they come into the hospital.”
Virtual nurses take on medication reconciliation so it is completed before physicians interact with patients. Since shifting this task away from bedside nurses, accuracy and efficiency have improved.
Second, some CommonSpirit hospitals have implemented supply technicians. These workers ensure supplies are stocked and organized, cabinets are set up correctly and devices have batteries, among other supply-related tasks.
Stony Brook Medicine
The Stony Brook, N.Y.-based system has implemented a patient advocate intern program with notable success. Patient advocate interns are undergraduate students from Stony Brook University who work closely with physicians, nurses, patient advocates and patients to facilitate communication and improve patient comfort.
Interns focus on the small patient needs, such as getting extra blankets or pillows, helping patients eat and drink, and listening to and connecting with patients, Nicole Rossol, chief patient experience officer at Stony Brook Medicine, told Becker’s.
“Those small details matter, especially when the clinical team is tied up with a trauma or a critical case,” she said. “Our clinical teams would love to spend more time with patients more often, but they don’t always have the time. The interns help fill that gap, and it makes a real difference in the care experience.”
When the program launched a few years ago, there were 10 interns; currently, Stony Brook has 96. Many have gone on to graduate from medical school and return to the system as clinicians.
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
The Aurora-based hospital has invested in several support roles, and its newest role is patient technology technician.
“They help manage all the technology needs on the unit, whether it’s replacing dead batteries in monitoring devices, answering phones, fixing printers, managing telemetry boxes or even locating equipment,” Jennifer Rodgers, DNP, NP, chief nursing officer of the academic medical center, told Becker’s. “That role came directly from nurse feedback, and it’s been a big support.”
These support roles have freed up nurses to do more direct patient care, meet complex clinical needs and perform tasks that require their skill set, Dr. Rodgers said.
