Clinical nurses' experiences with "Internet+Nursing Service" in a public tertiary hospital in Western China: a...

The "Internet+Nursing Service" (hereinafter referred to as INS) is an innovative model developed in China to extend professional nursing care to home settings, particularly for elderly and chronically ill patients. Despite its potential to enhance healthcare accessibility, little is known about the experiences of clinical nurses who deliver these services, especially in Western China.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of clinical nurses participating in INS in a public tertiary hospital in Western China.

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted.

Twelve clinical nurses (all female; mean years of professional experience: 18) who had completed at least five INS assignments were included.

Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the interview data.

Four main themes emerged: (1) Service value, encompassing professional growth, patient convenience, and hospital reputation; (2) Practical barriers, including logistical support, safety risks, and procedural limitations; (3) Support needs, covering team collaboration and policy support; (4) Directions for improvement, focusing on process optimization, safety assurance, and publicity expansion.

INS plays a critical role in enhancing continuity of care for homebound patients, yet its sustainability in under-resourced settings is constrained by operational barriers, safety concerns, limited awareness, and lack of insurance reimbursement. To transition from pilot innovation to scalable and equitable service models, three actionable priorities must be addressed: (1) strengthen safety protocols and competency-based training for nurses; (2) integrate INS into health insurance reimbursement systems to reduce patient out-of-pocket burden; and (3) build interprofessional collaboration and digital health capacity to enhance service efficiency and outreach. Support from hospitals, policymakers, and society is essential to optimize this service model and ensure its long-term viability.In the specific under‑resourced setting studied (a single tertiary hospital in Western China with no insurance reimbursement, severe geographical constraints, and lack of institutional safety nets), these priorities appear to be essential prerequisites for service viability in similar contexts. However, as our findings reflect the perspectives of experienced, self‑selected INS participants from a single hospital, further research is needed to assess generalizability across different nurse populations and regions.

Not applicable.