Virtual Nursing for the Care of Hospitalized Patients

Are virtual nurses (VNs) in hospitals associated with bedside nurses’ workloads and care quality?In this cross-sectional study using mixed methods that included 880 registered nurses, the majority of nurses (57%) reported that VNs did not reduce their workload, and among these 10% said VNs increased their workload. Of the 43% who said VNs reduced workloads, only 8% reported that workloads were reduced “by a lot.” Slightly over half (53%) of nurses said VNs improved quality of care, but only 11% reported that quality was improved “by a lot.” When asked how VNs affect quality of care, 47% of nurses reported no impact on care quality, with 4% reporting that VNs reduced care quality.These findings suggest that virtual nursing yields mixed results in hospitals.

Corresponding Author: K. Jane Muir, PhD, MSHP, RN, University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, 418 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19143 (janemuir@nursing.upenn.edu).

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