A veteran nurse’s perspective on her profession’s changing role – and how nurse live chat can drive better patient outcomes and increase revenue for digital health platforms.
The next wave of nursing transformation is underway.
Bedside nursing will always be essential, but digital change in the healthcare world has created new avenues for nurses to make an impact. Now, these healthcare heroes can digitally connect with patients in real time, offering their human touch and expertise to nurse chat widgets embedded in digital health and online pharma platforms.
Patients no longer need to be in a hospital to benefit from the empathy and trust that nurses provide. Instead, they can chat with a nurse – right in your digital health platform or pharma website – to get the guidance they desire.
Nurse-1-1’s live chat widget connects patients in an average of 8 seconds, and has improved patient adherence by 57%. That means better patient outcomes and more efficient allocation of resources for digital platforms. Bedside nursing isn’t going anywhere, but nurse live chat provides an efficient avenue for digital support that patients can access from their home or on-the-go.
Kate Murphy, CNM discussed the new role of nurses in Nurse-1-1’s fireside chat, “Highlighting Our Heroes.” Murphy joined Nurse-1-1 Co-Founder & CEO Michael Sheeley and Chief Nurse Practitioner Kim Liner for a half-hour discussion on the intersection of nursing and digital health transformation.
Murphy is a Certified Nurse Midwife and currently works at Atrius Health. After graduating from Northeastern University, Murphy worked in the pediatric ICU at Boston Children’s Hospital for nearly a decade, developing her passion for empowering patients – especially women and families.
Murphy has experienced traditional bedside nursing and has used her expertise in new digital settings, including four years working with Nurse-1-1’s live chat nurse widget. She’s experienced the life of a “digital nurse” first-hand, helping guide patients to the right next steps in their healthcare journey.
“When I first graduated nursing school, it didn’t even cross my mind to do anything besides bedside nursing,” Murphy said. “It can take some time for nurses to learn how we can use our innate skills, values and education and transition it into this new platform, which is certainly the way of the future.”
Here are some highlights from the fireside chat:
The Need for Empathy and Trust In Digital Health
According to a Gallup poll, nursing has been recognized as the most trusted profession in America in each of the past 20 years.
As healthcare shifts to a digital-first experience, many patients lose out on the human touch points previously available in the healthcare journey. Nurses have the skills to fill that role in a digital setting with a seamless, live chat experience, personalized recommendation, and follow-up that helps influence patients to move forward with the right next step. This platform can replace those impactful, yet casual in-person conversations that used to occur at a pharmacy counter or in a doctor’s waiting room.
Healthcare is still feeling the effects of COVID-19
COVID-19 has held a lasting grip on the healthcare world, even if we’ve largely transitioned away from quarantines and boosters.
For two years, treating COVID often became more important than addressing other physical and mental health conditions. Debates over vaccine effectiveness and lockdowns caused division. Some patients became disillusioned with the healthcare system.
“Unfortunately it seems like there’s quite a bit of distrust after the pandemic within the healthcare system, which is important to recognize and acknowledge,” Murphy said. “That’s one of the things nurses can be really powerful for—helping to foster those true relationships and connections.”
Amidst digital health transformation, nurses are the missing link
Telehealth has carved out a crucial role in the post-COVID healthcare world. Patients can now take charge of their healthcare journeys within digital health and pharma websites.
These changes have increased convenience and access for patients. However, there needs to be a way to inject a human touch and influence into these digital processes. Nurses are excellent candidates to represent healthcare on the front lines of patient care. Live nurse chats offer a way for these heroes to extend their impact in a new way.
“I would definitely encourage new nurses to try to think outside the box a little bit, and to really focus on how important they are in the healthcare system,” Murphy said.
When patients have access to live nurse expertise, there are fewer opportunities for patient dropoff and non-adherence. That preserves resources for digital health and online pharma hubs—ultimately driving revenue.
The Future of Nursing
No matter where healthcare goes next, digital health and online pharma hubs will play an essential role. Nurses will need to be embedded in these websites to extend their impact. It’s important for the nursing community to remain agile and opportunistic as they look for new ways to guide patients.
How can nurses help influence the best healthcare decisions for patients?
When nurses take part in a nurse live chat widget like Nurse-1-1, they provide a valuable human touchpoint for patients. It’s important to remember that a nurse live chat complements medical care, rather than replacing it. In this setting, a nurse’s main goal is to provide education, empathy, and influence, ultimately guiding the patient towards the right option within the digital health or pharma website.
Nurses don’t have to give medical advice to make an impact. Instead, they can explain why a prescription is important, advise a patient on how to take their medication or help someone decide if and how they should seek out more medical attention.
What can nurses do to drive healthcare forward?
Nurses who move with the current digital transformation will find themselves with more opportunities to impact patients’ lives. The role of a nurse might take a different form, but the core qualities of empathy, trust and guidance will remain.
“It’s really important to have strong nurses who are working in the hospital and working at the bedside, but that might not be the right role for everybody,” Murphy said.
“It doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to be a nurse or, you need to change professions because there are so many other avenues – whether it’s working in a clinic or working in telemedicine, any virtual aspect – there are just so many opportunities as a nurse where you can find your own niche.”