Nurses have always been unsung heroes. Traditionally, they have been the ones at a patient’s bedside, treating, supporting, and caring for them. But the ability of a nurse to have a real impact on patients’ lives has expanded beyond the bedside. Remote patient monitoring makes it possible for nurses to be an integral part of a patient’s health journey from afar and create real, positive outcomes.
As we celebrate Nurses Week, we honor every nurse who makes a difference. And as remote patient monitoring advocates, we want to share stories of how Optimize nurses are making a difference in patients’ lives every day.
Lowering Blood Pressure with RPM
Most patients with hypertension are told they need to lower their blood pressure. But that’s often easier said than done, especially for patients trying to do it on their own. RPM is about so much more than monitoring vital signs. RPM provides consistent education and coaching so patients have an advocate and a constant source of support.
An 81-year-old Optimize patient with hypertension reduced her blood pressure from 144/70 to 138/68 in just one month. The Optimize nurse says, “She literally is the best, absolutely the most eager to learn and make changes for her health! She reads the texts, will ask questions, really soaks in all the info we give each month, I just love her. It reinforces why I love helping patients and working remotely. It’s a beautiful thing!”
And just like a typical unsung hero, this nurse was eager to give credit to her patient. Without the nurse’s proactive outreach to share information and monitor progress, these results would have been hard to achieve.
Early AFib Treatment Matters
By developing relationships with patients, monitoring nurses drive engagement and adherence. Monitoring vital signs is critical to managing patients with chronic diseases, but it’s only effective if patients actually take their readings regularly.
Engaged patients who know that someone is watching their readings are more likely to take them. And that’s exactly how an Optimize nurse was able to drive early intervention for a patient who needed it.
When she saw a critical reading, she quickly contacted the patient to ask questions and diagnose the situation. After learning more about his symptoms, the nurse coordinated care with his physician and the patient was admitted to the hospital for atrial fibrillation.Early treatment of AFib can prevent stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications. So, thank you to this remote nurse who may have prevented all of that by engaging the patient and getting appropriate treatment early.
Detecting Aortic Aneurysms Before They Rupture
Aortic aneurysms are difficult to identify during a physical exam and can remain undetected for years. Many patients are unaware of issues until the aneurysm starts to tear or rupture, which can cause severe internal bleeding or death. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the tenth leading cause of death for men over 55.
An Optimize monitoring nurse had a patient who had multiple abnormal readings. She called after each irregular reading to collect more information, and then encouraged the patient to see her doctor and request additional screening. The patient was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and quickly sent for open-heart surgery to repair the aorta.
Without the type of early intervention and screening that RPM and dedicated monitoring nurses make possible, this aneurysm could have easily been missed. And the consequences of a ruptured aneurysm could have been severe, or even fatal.
Celebrating Remote Nurses This Week and Every Week
While we only officially celebrate Nurses Week once a year, these amazing real-life stories happen every day. We are incredibly grateful to the amazing Optimize nurses who engage patients, improve outcomes, increase quality of life, and sometimes, even save lives. Thank you!
If your RPM program or practice needs more great nurses like this, contact us.