Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, which has one of the largest and most robust virtual nursing programs in the U.S., has expanded the care model.
Here are eight things to know, according to a Becker's interview with three Trinity executives:
1. The 93-hospital system launched its TogetherTeam hybrid nursing model — in which a bedside registered nurse and nursing aide work in tandem with a virtual nurse — in 2022. The virtual nurses attend rounds, help with shift handoffs, and are available to patients 24/7 via the push of a button.
2. The program has expanded to 11 states, 26 hospitals, 20,331 beds and 72 units, including med-surg, telemetry and emergency departments. The states are Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
3. Trinity Health now employs 390 virtual nurses who work in hubs either located within or near the hospitals. The nurses are required to have eight years of bedside experience.
4. The organization is on track to hit its goal of implementing virtual nursing systemwide, covering 26 states and about 6,500 beds, by mid-2026.
5. The care model has helped with capacity and staffing issues. "In a time of shortage, where organizations across the country have beds closed or units closed, or they can't be at full capacity because they don't have enough staff, this model has enabled us to open up beds that were closed and have more capacity to serve our communities," Gay Landstrom, PhD, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Trinity Health, told Becker's.
6. Virtual nursing has also boosted recruitment. "Our nurse leaders have embraced this. When they're hiring new staff, they can tell them, 'We have this great, innovative way that we are practicing nursing, and you can be a part of it,'" said Jennifer Misajet, BSN, RN, interim regional chief nursing officer at Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne, which is part of Trinity Health.
7. Patients say the care model makes them feel "safer." "Some of the patient feedback we receive is: 'We feel safer. We have two registered nurses taking care of us. I can call that nurse when I need them. I have that on-demand, direct communication,'" said Murielle Beene, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief health informatics officer at Trinity Health.
8. The biggest challenge has been finding nursing aides. They can be either licensed practical nurses, nurse assistants or certified nurse assistants. "In every region of the country where we've implemented this, we have needed to develop workforce. We've done a good job, but we still need more," Dr. Landstrom said.