Virtual Nursing: Organizational and Professional Crossroads for the Immediate and Beyond

Virtual nursing has swept the country as an acute care model solution amidst unresolved clinical workforce shortages, shrinking margins, increased acuity, and capacity pressures. Nurse leaders and professional associations cite the value of virtual nursing; however, model adoption appears lower than projected need and perceived impact. Virtual nurse models vary and the prevalence of model pilots versus full scale implementation should be noted, along with opinions regarding short term versus permanent utility. Questions surrounding virtual nurse roles, standards of practice, competencies, certification, and regulation are escalating and warrant careful discussion. Decisions are needed to move beyond the organizational and professional crossroads we face with virtual nursing.