Virtual nursing is not a fad. It's so transformative that we are near the first generation of nurses who may never touch a patient.
Welcome to our August 2024 cover story. Each month, our editors will be taking a deep dive into the topics that matter most to you in our cover story series. From ways to win the payer/provider war to AI governance, we have a lot of stories up our sleeves this year.
So, what did our team look into this month? Well, nurses are feeling overworked and burned out, and there are not enough nurses to fill the gaps left by those leaving the industry. This means your hospital halls will soon be empty, but not for the reason you think. Your nursing staff will be virtual.
Many organizations are turning to virtual nursing to address staffing and wellbeing, and with the current trajectory virtual care will be an integral part of the future of healthcare.
So, while your rooms won’t be completely devoid of in-person nurses, soon an entire department of onsite clinical staff will be a thing of the past.
Our CNO editor G Hatfield spoke to some of the best in the industry in virtual nursing and dug into how nurse leaders can adapt and advance.
Did you miss our July cover story on the rise of the advanced practice provider? No worries, you can read it here.
Amanda Norris is the Director of Content for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Within the next five to 10 years, more than half of all nursing positions could be entirely virtual or have some kind of virtual component, which will only expand thereafter.
Care delivery models will have virtual nursing fully integrated and will involve support from remote nurses and new ways of collecting patient information.
Virtual nursing has the potential to impact staffing by eliminating contract labor and serving as a flexible scheduling and education tool for both new nurses and tenured nurses.