eICU-anyone else have this at their facility???

[nurseysarah]

Hi all! I work in the CCU/CVICU and the facility I work for just recently implemented an eICU. For those unfamiliar with this-There is a camera in every ICU pt room and a monitor that the eICU nurse shows up on. The camera does not record, it just allows the docs and RNs do to a scan of the room and come in when needed (there is a button we can press). They monitor trends, make phone calls, and will even keep an eye on our pts if there is a code. They do much, much more, but it would take too long to describe it!

I was just wondering what others' experiences were with an eICU and how you may feel about it.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I don't work ICU but when I was a tech in PACU (overflow ICU) almost 8 years ago, it was brand new to my healthcare system and everyone was kind of leery of it. However, I know the ICU nurses at my facility love it!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

So, the virtual (eICU) is located in the same building - but in a different area than the traditional ICU?. Hmm. What are the admission criteria that determine whether you are admitted to the 'e' or regular ICU? Is the 'real' ICU staffed to support an immediate response?

I am just a bit confused as to how to maintain the same standard of care in a virtual unit... and whether patients may be given a false sense of security. I have been in many situations that required ICU nurses to monitor & respond to patients that were outside the unit (IMUs, tele, etc) & it was always very difficult because each time we had to respond, it meant scaling back the care available to the patients we were caring for. A staffing nightmare.

OTOH, I am perfectly fine with having virtual connections & virtual rounds for other caregivers... docs, therapists, etc.... if a qualified nurse is available at the bedside.

[nurseysarah]

The eICU isn't actually a unit at all. All ICU pts have a RN, and the eICU is really just a second set of eyes located in a different building. I usually only hear from the eICU if they started noticing a subtle trend in VS(temp, heart rate, BPs) that I may have overlooked because I've been busy with everything else that is going on.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

The eICU is "the answer" to monitor fatigue. I have also seen it make some changes to ICU staffing and staffing mix. The EICU has staff in a remote area observing the patients monitors and on camera. According to Phillips (who of course has a vested interest)

The eICU Program provides an alternative way to deliver high-quality critical care when specialist resources are limited. The eICU vision is to have centralized intensivist physicians & critical care nurses - round-the-clock in an eICU Center - to help bedside teams watch over their sickest patients and to prioritize and guide interventions. The evidence is growing that eICU Programs are having a proven impact on saving lives, reducing complications, and reducing the length of patient stays. (Philips Healthcare eICU Program - Welcome)

This is interesting.....Critical Care, Critical Choices: The Case for Tele-ICUs in Intensive Care - Publications â€" NEHI â€" A national health policy institute