Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's University Health Network has tapped college students to remotely monitor COVID-19 patients in eight of its hospitals, the health system said.
Students have been monitoring patients' vital signs in a nearby office building since Dec. 19.
The students receive vital sign information via the Masimo SafetyNet cloud-based patient management platform, which uses a wireless finger sensor to detect patient oxygen level, respiration and heart rate. The information they receive can help inform treatment decisions, the health system said.
"These students are an important part of the solution to our staffing challenges brought on by phase two of the COVID crisis," Kim Sargent, MSN, RN, leader of the student-powered monitoring project, said in a press release. "We're hoping they'll support us throughout [the] pandemic, whether they're studying at home or coming home on weekends."