As healthcare searches for the ideal virtual nursing model, Advocate Health has been experimenting with several frameworks since January 2023, according to Jane Dus, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer of Advocate's Midwest region.
Several health systems have seen success, but there is no consensus on the best model, Dr. Dus told Becker's.
One pilot program at Atrium Health Pineville (N.C.) has embedded cameras for 24/7 patient monitoring from virtual nurses. The virtual nurses not only help with admissions, discharges, mentoring and care coordination, but they also keep an eye on patients who are at high risk for falls, for example.
Another model uses a central location staffed with virtual nurses who fulfill each hospital's specific needs; one location might need help with admissions while another might require discharge planning.
The third model has nurses rotating between virtual and in-person care. A nurse could work in one unit or one hospital for two days, then work virtually the third day — which helps with retention, Dr. Dus said.
The third model helps with retention, while a blend of the first and third models has nurses who are part of the community they're caring for. Since there are benefits to each pilot model, Advocate is "not really married to one right now," she said.
"We are seeing some improvements in things like retention, patient engagement, teammate engagement [and] length of stay throughput," Dr. Dus said. "Those are all really good measures, but we really have to continue to hone our outcomes to make sure that it could directly contribute to the virtual nurse," if it resonates with the staff and if the right technology is available.
Twenty-two hospitals operated by Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health are currently part of these pilots, and in the first quarter of 2025, six more will join.