Hospitals facing challenges in recruiting and retaining bedside registered nurses are turning to virtual nursing programs as an alternative way to provide patient care. These programs use video and messaging technology, allowing nurses to monitor, assess, educate, and coordinate care for hospitalized patients from remote locations.
A recent study conducted by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) at Penn Nursing, published in JAMA Network Open, surveyed 880 in-hospital nurses about their experiences with virtual nursing programs. The findings indicate that these programs have received mixed feedback from bedside nurses.
According to the survey results, 57% of in-hospital nurses said that virtual nursing programs did not reduce their workload. Additionally, 10% reported that their workload actually increased due to the implementation of these programs. On the other hand, 53% of respondents stated that working with virtual nurses improved the quality of patient care; however, only 11% considered this improvement to be substantial.
The researchers note that while virtual nursing may be useful for specific tasks such as monitoring or documentation, its overall success likely depends on adequate in-person nurse staffing and clear implementation standards.
"The data is mixed as to whether virtual nursing programs offer relief to in-hospital nurses and enhance the quality of patient care, which suggests hospitals should proceed cautiously in the absence of strong evidence about whether and under which conditions virtual nursing programs are safe and effective," said co-author Karen B. Lasater, PhD, RN, FAAN. She is the Jessie M. Scott Term Chair in Nursing and Health Policy, Associate Professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, and CHOPR Associate Director.
"While there is mixed evidence about the value of virtual nursing programs, there is strong evidence that staffing more nurses at the bedside is linked to better outcomes for patients and nurses alike."
The research was led by CHOPR at Penn Nursing with funding support from organizations including the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
