Exploring the Role of Virtual Nurses in Inpatient Care Teams.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health

Background:

• Virtual nursing is an emerging solution to healthcare workforce shortages and care delivery challenges.
• Existing evidence on virtual nursing models is fragmented, necessitating a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map virtual nursing models in adult inpatient settings.
• To identify key characteristics, roles, and outcomes of virtual nursing.
• To inform policy, practice, and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic mapping review of peer-reviewed literature.
• Searches conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science.
• Inclusion of studies describing virtual registered nurses integrated into inpatient teams, categorizing data by structure, roles, experience, location, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Virtual nursing models exhibit variability in structure, staffing, and coverage.
• Key responsibilities include patient monitoring, documentation, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Promising outcomes in staff turnover, satisfaction, and efficiency were observed, but reporting consistency is lacking.

Conclusions:

• Virtual nursing presents a flexible model with potential to mitigate workforce challenges in healthcare.
• Standardized reporting frameworks and rigorous evaluations are crucial for effective implementation and policy development.
• Further research is recommended to solidify the evidence base for virtual nursing.