Virtual Nursing: Models of Care
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the face of the health care workforce. The pandemic has strained hospitals, affecting caregivers鈥 well-being and resulting in many leaving their hospital jobs. The AHA has been collecting resources to assist organizations in their efforts to plan for the future post-COVID-19 workforce.
As discussed by Sylvain Trepanier, R.N., chief nursing officer at Providence, 鈥淰irtual nursing was introduced a couple of decades ago, but it鈥檚 getting a fresh look thanks in large part to its successful use during the height of the pandemic. Today, leaders at many health systems are piloting technologies and expanding programs as they work to systematically scale this model.鈥
Nursing leaders have identified five essential characteristics for successful virtual nursing programs:
1. Be inclusive from the start.
2. Allow time for relationship building.
3. Anticipate technological difficulties.
4. Don鈥檛 be afraid to change workflows.
5. Make sure buildings have adequate wireless bandwidth.
The AHA has collected from our member hospitals and health systems examples of successful virtual nursing programs. Below is a brief summary of those case examples.
FEATURED CASE STUDIES
