Initiating Virtual Nursing in General Inpatient Care

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Technology
• Patient Care

Background:

• Increased demand for inpatient care strains limited nursing resources.
• Bedside registered nurses (RNs) face challenges accessing experienced colleagues for mentorship and best practice guidance.
• A healthcare system sought innovative solutions to support bedside nursing staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility and perceptions of a virtual RN (ViRN) role.
• To assess the impact of ViRNs on supporting bedside RNs and patients.
• To determine the effectiveness of virtual assistance in executing best practices.

Main Methods:

• A virtual RN (ViRN) role was implemented on general care inpatient units.
• ViRNs provided real-time virtual clinical guidance and patient surveillance.
• Bedside RNs were surveyed via email regarding their experience with the ViRN role.

Main Results:

• Bedside RNs reported valuing the consistent availability of ViRNs.
• The ViRN role provided expert nursing knowledge and virtual assistance with nursing tasks.
• RNs perceived the integration of ViRNs positively.

Conclusions:

• The virtual RN (ViRN) role is a valuable resource for supporting bedside nurses.
• Virtual nursing support can effectively address challenges related to limited nursing resources.
• Implementing ViRNs enhances the execution of best practices and patient care.