Executive Summary:
In response to evolving patient and system needs, healthcare leaders are exploring virtual nursing (VRN) as an innovative strategy to support the nursing workforce. Virtual nursing allows nurses to provide patient care such as admissions and discharge via remote video conference. Similar to telehealth in many aspects, a virtual nurse allows for real-time communication with the patient while supporting the bedside nurse. While leaders see VRN's potential to enhance staffing efficiency and patient care, frontline nurses express concerns about its impact on their autonomy and patient care quality.
Nursing Catalyst conducted a national survey of 403 nurses and frontline focus groups to gain insight into frontline nurse perspectives on VRN. Findings reveal that although initial support for VRN is limited, nurses show an increased receptivity to the solution when presented with outcomes data and real-world examples of VRN’s effectiveness. To increase frontline buy-in, leaders should focus on sharing and circulating data-driven evidence of VRN’s impact to both patients and clinicians and peer testimonials.
Key Takeaways:
Frontline nurses prioritize virtual nursing solutions that reduce administrative burdens, particularly documentation and discharge preparation, enabling them to focus on top-of-license care and improve patient interaction.
Nurses express significant concerns about the potential risks of virtual nursing, including patient safety, workflow disruption, and loss of personalization, but are more likely to embrace it when provided with evidence-based outcomes and peer testimonials.
Clear communication, transparency in outcomes, and fostering peer-to-peer learning are critical for leadership to build frontline confidence and support for virtual nursing as a complementary solution rather than a disruptive change.