Virtual nursing uses remote nurses who connect with patients and care teams through technology like video calls, telehealth platforms, and automated tools. These nurses do tasks remotely, such as admitting patients, teaching them about discharge, collecting medical histories, checking symptoms, and providing education. This helps reduce interruptions for nurses working at the bedside, letting them focus on urgent care.
One big reason virtual nursing is growing is because there are not enough nurses in the U.S. In 2021, about 100,000 nurses left the job, and by 2025, there might be a shortage of nearly 79,000 full-time nurses. Also, the average age of nurses is 52, so many will retire soon, making the shortage worse.
To deal with this, health systems use virtual nursing to fill staffing gaps and help with workflow. One health group saw nurse turnover drop by 60% and vacancies by 46% after using virtual nursing in 12 locations. Another test program showed that all patients gave positive feedback on virtual nursing, which means patients accept and like this service.
Virtual nursing helps not only hospitals but also people in rural or underserved areas. It gives them access to nurses and specialists they might not get nearby. For instance, virtual nurses can watch over patients with chronic illnesses and provide ongoing education, which helps patients follow their care plans better and improves health.
Clinical teams face many problems like burnout, heavy workloads, and the need for quick, accurate information. Technology that includes virtual nursing can help by making communication easier, automating regular tasks, and giving clinical information based on evidence.
Rauland, a company making communication platforms for healthcare, added AI-assisted virtual nursing platforms to its program. Platforms like hellocare.ai and NESA’s HoriZen™ allow virtual nurses to be full team members. This improves communication between remote nurses and those at the bedside. It helps get patient needs handled faster and makes care more efficient.
Elizabeth Anderson, a clinical director at Rauland, said technology should be like a teammate, not a burden. These virtual care platforms reduce the mental load on nurses by managing many communication and monitoring tools in one place. Nurses can then focus on caring for patients while virtual nurses manage some administrative work remotely.
Also, NESA’s HoriZen™ works inside electronic health record (EHR) systems, giving doctors and nurses a full view of patient care in hospitals and clinics. This lowers paperwork and helps keep care smooth and connected.
Getting patients involved in their care is important to improve health, especially for chronic diseases, avoid hospital readmissions, and encourage self-care. Virtual nursing helps by giving ongoing, personalized support and education outside of the clinic.
Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) offers a PatientConnect® system that links remote patient monitoring with EHR systems. It lets providers and patients communicate in real time, cuts down on duplicate paperwork, and makes workflows better for providers.
HRS monitors over 60 medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes with a 24/7 clinical center called CareConnect™ that sends alerts about patient risk. This helps nurses avoid information overload and act quickly when needed.
Jessica Magalhaes, Director of Telehealth at Southcoast Visiting Nurse Association, said that combining video visits with remote monitoring improved patient health, lowered hospital stays, and cut healthcare costs. Lisa Hogan from Frederick Health said telehealth tools help reach more patients in rural or underserved areas while keeping them supported, especially during difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virtual nurses also give special services like virtual wound and ostomy care through HRS’s WoundConnect™ program. This connects nurses with wound care specialists, reducing in-person visits, improving treatment, and making documentation better.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important part of virtual nursing and healthcare technology. It helps by automating regular tasks, giving alerts in real time, and monitoring patients continuously without needing a person to watch all the time.
In hospitals, AI cameras with motion tracking and predictive tools help with virtual ICU monitoring, virtual sitting, and nursing paperwork. These cameras can spot problems like falls and alert staff quickly. This keeps patients safer and reduces nurse workload.
Lisbeth Votruba, a clinical officer at AvaSure, mentioned that AI devices reduce IT problems because they replace many single-use tools. This makes virtual nursing run smoother and keeps monitoring steady. Rachelle Longo, a telemedicine leader at Ochsner Health, explained that upgrading networks and adding AI help cut down communication delays and ensure quick clinical decisions.
AI in virtual nursing systems can sort and prioritize alerts for nurses. This helps nurses focus on patients who need the most help. Wolters Kluwer offers AI tools with clinical guidelines that reduce care differences, assist with medication decisions, and make patient teaching easier. These tools give nurses clear, useful information at the right time.
By automating tasks like note-taking and routine checks, virtual nurses let front-line staff spend more time with patients who need complex care. This also helps keep nurses because it lowers burnout from too much paperwork.
AI virtual nursing systems connect with hospital systems to improve teamwork between remote and on-site staff. AI helps with understanding clinical data and ensures smooth communication between departments, stopping information from being lost. This lowers mental workload for staff and speeds up response, improving patient care.
Even though virtual nursing has many benefits, hospitals face technical problems when trying to use these systems fully. Some places have old equipment, not enough internet bandwidth, and networks that are not reliable enough for continuous virtual care.
The ATA Center of Digital Excellence says only about 10% of U.S. healthcare groups have fully adopted virtual nursing and care platforms. But almost 75% of healthcare leaders think virtual workflows are the future for hospital care.
Problems like slow networks, video freezing, and single-use devices cause delays and safety risks. Older hospital areas and rural clinics often have weak wireless signals that hurt telehealth and virtual nursing monitoring.
To fix these issues, hospitals should upgrade to Wi-Fi 6, widen fiber optic or 5G access, and use peer-to-peer video streaming like WebRTC to cut delays. Using edge computing to handle data locally also lowers dependence on the cloud and keeps services available, which is important for virtual nursing.
Changing old TVs in patient rooms with smart, cloud-linked devices improves patient experience by making virtual visits, health learning, and symptom checks easier. These devices also help patients communicate with their care team more easily.
These examples show how virtual nursing adds to in-person care, makes care easier to get in rural areas, and supports specialized areas like wound care and mental health.
By carefully adding virtual nursing and technology solutions, healthcare groups in the United States can help clinical teams with staffing and workload while improving patient involvement and safety. Virtual nursing is a practical and supported way to improve healthcare delivery today.
The Amwell Converge platform is a comprehensive solution that enables hybrid care delivery by interconnecting in-person, automated, and virtual care, optimizing the overall healthcare experience.
Hybrid care integrates various care methods, ensuring seamless patient journeys which can lead to improved health outcomes and greater patient satisfaction.
Amwell helped Corewell Health save over $1 million in emergency room revisits through automated care programs, demonstrating improved financial performance.
By integrating the Converge platform with existing EHR systems, M Health Fairview facilitated a 90% satisfaction rate among over 2,100 providers.
In just 18 months, over 20,000 providers conducted more than 1 million visits on the Converge platform, indicating high adoption and satisfaction.
OSF HealthCare utilized telehealth to provide timely assessments for mental health, expanding access and lowering the evaluation barrier for emergency department patients.
Amwell’s virtual nursing program supports overburdened clinical teams by enabling critical care delivery and enhancing patient engagement through various technology solutions.
Innovative telehealth solutions at OSF HealthCare have facilitated psychiatric evaluations for patients in emergency departments amid increasing demands.
With features like in-app therapy sessions that require no downloads, Amwell enhances patient convenience and therapist interaction during virtual care.
Amwell’s ongoing partnerships aim to revolutionize digital care delivery, creating new pathways for effective care management and enhancing patient experiences.
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