9 Virtual care delivery to promote a thriving nursing workforce

<h3>Background</h3> As the landscape of healthcare continues to evolve and organizations continue to face nurse staffing challenges, it is becoming increasingly imperative to explore creative approaches to nursing care delivery. Virtual nursing presents a promising avenue to alleviate the burden on bedside nurses, promote staff well-being, and enhance patient care outcomes. <h3>Objectives</h3> This workshop will highlight case studies and findings from a learning network that aimed to test innovative acute care delivery solutions with the goal of supporting and strengthening a thriving and diverse nursing workforce. <h3>Methods</h3> Ten pilot units, across five US health care systems, participated in a nine-month learning network to test innovative virtual care delivery ideas. They utilized the Model for Improvement and rapid-cycle plan-do-study-act to engage their teams and drive improvement. <h3>Results</h3> Aggregate results include a 7.78% increase in “I love my job”, 5.85% increase in “I can easily manage the demands of my job”, 11.33% increase in “I have adequate control over the pace of my work”, and a 2.54% increase in “I have access to the resources I need to do my job well” (figure 1). Qualitative themes include promising improvements in time savings and reduced burden for bedside nurses, increased support for nurses, and creation of new opportunities and engagement within the profession (figure 2). <h3>Conclusions and Implications</h3> Attendees will leave with actionable insights and strategies for implementing virtual care nursing solutions within their respective organizations. By harnessing the capabilities of virtual nurses, healthcare institutions can unlock new opportunities for creativity and efficiency in care delivery, ultimately creating environments in which patients and nurses thrive.