Patients at Mather who cannot have visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic can now connect to both their families and their caregivers via electronic devices that allow them to teleconference and receive email and photos.
Pictured: Justin Stroker, RN, Leanne Doherty, RN, Brittany Wiener, RN
NucleusCare, a healthcare electronic video intercom system, has been introduced on our 3 South and 3 East patient care units. Each patient is given a screen and caregivers at the nurses’ station can see and talk directly with patients in isolation without the need for going in and out of their rooms and donning and doffing Personal Protective Equipment or PPE. The built-in night-vison camera allows nursing to check on patients when the patient room light is off. The devices also allow patients to communicate with their families, who can also send the patient photos that can be displayed as a rotating photo screen.
According to Justin Stroker, RN, Director of Patient & Customer Experience, the idea for NucleusCare, already in use at some senior living communities, came from Information Services in response to a request from CNO Dr. Marie Mulligan to come up with means by which patients and nurses could communicate through audio and video. The Nucleus devices allow patients to communicate with Nursing and with their family and friends.
They are just one of the electronic devices being used to help patients communicate during these challenging times. “When we received the Department of Health mandates regarding visitor restrictions, our nursing leadership team knew that we would be combatting not only this disease, but also the psychological and emotional impacts of isolation,” said Dr. Mulligan. “With visitation suspended, we really wanted to ensure that patients stayed connected to their loved ones.”
“We are very excited about these devices,” said Stroker. “Along with the 95 devices from NucleusCare that are being deployed, we have an additional number of tablets to help connect patients and families. These include iPads and Amazon Fire tablets that were sponsored by community donations.”
“In addition, Northwell Health has been a great help by providing over 70 Echo Shows which will also help facilitate communication among patients, nurses and physicians, and 15 iPads that will allow patients to communicate with their families” said Tom Heiman, VP for Information Services and CIO.