Virtual nursing program supports efficiency and enhances patient experience
Beaufort Memorial is always innovating how it delivers the compassionate, patient-centered care that the community health system is known for.
In Fall 2025, that mission included the implementation of virtual nursing technology, a program that has changed the landscape of care at Beaufort Memorial Hospital for not only patients, but the busy, dedicated nurses who work on the floors, too.
Real Support, Delivered Differently
At the center of the program is Sara Tuten, RN, Beaufort Memorial’s first-ever virtual nurse – and a real person.
She and her husband Matt got married in 2022, she likes to crochet and, like every other nurse at Beaufort Memorial, she has a passion for helping others and serving her community.
Her role just looks a little different since Beaufort Memorial started the virtual nursing program.
At the end of 2024, the Duke Endowment awarded the Beaufort Memorial Foundation $485,000 to pilot the two-year program aimed at improving overall workflow and care delivery.
At Beaufort Memorial, technology is designed to support – not replace – the skill, compassion and human connection that define its nurses. Through virtual nursing, time-intensive tasks like admissions, discharges and patient education are streamlined – giving bedside nurses more time to focus on direct patient care, while Sara handles time-consuming tasks related to patient admission and discharge, acting as a resource and educator for patients.
Improving the Patient Experience
Initially serving only the hospital’s fourth floor, the program quickly expanded. By November 2025, virtual nursing was active across the third, fourth and fifth floors of Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
Depending on the day, Sara might handle admissions and discharges for anywhere between 12 and 20 patients daily, taking that load off bedside nurses to allow them to focus on hands-on patient care.
“This program gives time back to the nurses, especially with discharges,” she explained. “In my role, I’m able to talk to a patient and answer their questions.”
She can spend 30 minutes or more with a patient, walking them through their new medication, for example – something nurses on the floor don’t have the time to do.
“I have the time to sit with these patients, educate them and be a resource,” Sara said.
Discharges are the best part of her job, she added.
“The discharges are where I get to use my skills as a nurse,” she said. “Admissions involve mostly just formalities and questions, but with discharges, I get to educate. I’m able to take a little more time with them than a nurse would otherwise.”
How it Works
Sara works from an office in the Beaufort Memorial Administrative and Medical Center, communicating with patients through secure, active monitors in their rooms. The system allows for real-time video interaction while maintaining patient privacy and security.
While she doesn’t perform in-person duties like physical assessments, she’s able to verify emergency contacts, record medical history information and complete other administrative tasks that free up floor nurses for the hands-on needs of patients.
The user-friendly system can be easily accessed by patients, and all communication with Sara through the monitor is completely secure.
The vast majority of patients have embraced the technology, Sara said. Some are initially hesitant, but most quickly recognize the benefit of having an additional nurse dedicated to answering any questions they have.
‘A Huge Timesaver’
While the implementation of a program like this is never perfectly seamless, Sara’s work supporting staff throughout 3T, 4T and 5T has been an extremely helpful addition.
“I was a little leery at first,” admitted Margaret Britt, RN, a nurse on 4T. “But having a virtual nurse here is a huge timesaver.”
Sara saves time for nurses like Pablo Caballero, RN, on 3T, taking over some of the necessary but time-consuming duties, allowing him to focus his attention on direct patient care.
“There are so many nursing tasks that have to be done, and there’s so little time to do them,” he explained. “Sara has saved me so many times. I can go take care of a patient who may be in pain while she helps with discharges and patient education.”
A ‘Smart’ Healthcare Model
The virtual nursing program is just one way that Beaufort Memorial is embracing cutting-edge healthcare technology as it evolves into a “smart” hospital system.
“Innovation is one of Beaufort Memorial’s core values, and incorporating technology like this to further enhance the way we deliver high-quality care is an example of our commitment,” said Russell Baxley, Beaufort Memorial President and CEO. “We’ve grown alongside this community, and these new technologies will strengthen our ability to deliver the exceptional care our patients deserve."
Behind the Screen
Sara grew up in “middle-of-nowhere Georgia” and found herself called to nursing while she was in college.
When she was 19, her mom spent a month in the hospital before she passed away, an experience that gave Sara a firsthand look at the compassion and dedication of healthcare professionals up close.
“I saw how much the nurses cared for her,” she recalled. “They were so great with us as a family, and I felt like it was something I’d be good at.”
Looking back at that spark that drew her to healthcare, Sara said that the nurses caring for her mother really resonated with her and helped her envision her future in the nursing profession.
“I could see myself in those nurses,” she remembered. “I asked them questions, and they were extremely supportive during a traumatic time – and I felt like that was what I was supposed to do.”
Be part of a nursing team that's embracing innovation to improve patient care and deliver high-quality healthcare across the Lowcountry.
Sarah Tuten, RN - First Virtual Nurse for Beaufort Memorial