Woman shocked after waking up to virtual nurse in hospital
TIKTOK: mrsmotivated2025A patient was left stunned after waking up to encounter a virtual nurse, as the hospital was she was in was understaffed.
Content creator mrsmotivated2025, who is in hospital after suffering a stroke, took to TikTok to provide a firsthand look into the future of patient care at MercyOne Hospital in Mason City, Iowa.
While offering a glimpse into her current situation, the patient introduced an unexpected addition to her care team. “I’m in my room at the hospital, and they don’t have enough staff here. So, they said, ‘Hey, just so you know, there’s a thing on the wall, and it’s going to be your virtual nurse,'” she explained.
The “thing” is a piece of technology that abruptly interrupts her TV show to introduce the virtual nurse. “The camera turned around and looked at us, and then [the virtual nurse] was like ‘How’s it going?’,” the patient recounted, looking horrified.
“What do you mean ‘How’s it going?’ I’m f**king freaked out right now. What are you doing up there?” she said. “This is what it’s come to, guys. But this is freaking crazy. My mind blown right now.”
The use of virtual nurses, like the one in this clip, are useful in various healthcare environments. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual nursing, as many were unable to visit hospitals and medical facilities.
They operate from remote centers outside of the hospital, using video conferencing technology to carry out tasks that don’t require the presence of an actual human, such as conducting admissions interviews and providing discharge instructions.
Despite that, thousands of commenters criticized this digital transition under the TikToker’s video, which has gone viral with over 1 million views.
“We are ALLLLLL leaving bedside… buckle up for the future,” one person wrote. “They will pay for that technology but wont pay their nurses. Omg. I am so worried,” another said.
“Wow!!! They can watch or video tape everything and no privacy,” a third commented. “What in the Black Mirror?” another added.
