RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon Medical Center has launched a new virtual nursing and telehealth program designed to support bedside nurses, improve communication with patients and families, and streamline hospital admissions and discharges.
The hospital announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that its new Virtual Registered Nurse (VRN) program will allow registered nurses to assist with patient care remotely while working alongside nurses providing direct care at the bedside.
The virtual nurses are employees of Hunterdon Medical Center, not artificial intelligence systems, and will help manage time-consuming responsibilities such as patient admissions, education and discharge coordination. By shifting those tasks to virtual nurses, the hospital aims to give bedside nurses more time to focus on hands-on patient care.
Under the program, virtual nurses will communicate with patients through their hospital room televisions or mobile video carts. Before beginning a session, patients will hear a knock, and the virtual nurse will introduce themselves and request permission to start the visit.
Once a patient agrees, the nurse will activate the video connection, allowing the patient and nurse to see and speak with each other. The hospital said sessions will not be recorded, and the nurse will disconnect the video call when the visit is complete.
The technology will also allow family members who cannot be physically present at the hospital to participate remotely in patient education and discharge planning.
“Virtual Nursing is an extension of a patient’s care team. Using this telehealth platform is another way to connect a patient to their healthcare providers. This new technology is helpful for family members who live out of state and can’t be with their loved one, but want to be involved in their care. A family can now join virtually for education and discharge instructions, ensuring a successful and supported transition home, leading to improved patient outcomes,” explained Susan Jelvani, MSN, CNL, CCRN, SCRN, CNRN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer.
According to Hunterdon Medical Center, the program was made possible through a Rural Health Transformation Grant from the New Jersey Department of Health. The hospital listed the grant amount as $1,088,184 and said the funding was made available through the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The hospital plans to initially introduce virtual nursing on its 5 South inpatient care unit, with mobile video carts also available for use in other hospital departments, including the emergency department.
“Virtual Nursing will be introduced on our inpatient care unit 5 South, but we will use the mobile carts on other hospital units and in our Emergency Department, stated Ms. Jelvani.
Hospital officials said the program is intended to complement traditional bedside nursing rather than replace it, allowing nurses to coordinate care more efficiently while maintaining direct communication with patients.
Additional information about Hunterdon Medical Center and its services is available at www.hunterdonhealth.org.
