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Navigating the Virtual Nursing Landscape – Chamberlain University’s Guide to Success

June 19th, 2024
June 19th, 2024

Virtual healthcare is a practical solution to such dilemmas as patient access to care, efficiency and patient outcomes. It can also be part of the solution when addressing disparities in care and the omnipresent healthcare workforce shortages. Nursing plays a vital role in the delivery of virtual patient care, but are nurses and healthcare organizations truly prepared with the relevant knowledge required to deliver optimal virtual care?

During a recent webinar, HealthStream and its partner, Chamberlain University shared a new program that will help nurses feel more confident in their virtual care skills. 

The webinar was moderated by Daniel Pawlus and featured presenter, Dr. Melanie Logue, PhD, DNP, APRN, CFP, FAANP, Alliance Campus President for Phoenix, Sacramento, Irwindale, and Las Vegas, Chamberlain University.

Chamberlain University

Pawlus began with an overview of Chamberlain University – one of HealthStream’s newest partners. Chamberlain University has a 130-year history of providing healthcare education. The College of Nursing and the College of Health Professionals consist of a growing network of campuses combined with a robust number of online courses. Their mission is to raise the standard of nursing and healthcare education to advance healthcare outcomes in communities across the country and around the world.

Overcoming Challenges with Virtual Nursing

It is no secret that staffing and retention issues and the exit of some of healthcare’s most experienced nurses has created a significant loss of nursing knowledge, clinical and leadership expertise, along with institutional history. “Virtual nursing is a creative solution to these problems,” said Dr. Logue. She went on to say that it is based on a well-established team-based model of care and adds in the well-researched telehealth capabilities.

The model uses a team approach that is able to address the experience gaps that occur when new nurses are taking care of high-acuity patients. It can also improve retention, reduce first-year flight risk, improve patient outcomes, improve patient access, and boost nurse confidence. In turn, the efficiencies created by this model can also result in improved financial performance.

How Does Virtual Nursing Help Patients and Healthcare Organizations?

Virtual nursing allows organizations to streamline workflows and improve retention which creates efficiencies and reduces costs. 

It allows nurses to practice at the top of their licenses and has a positive impact on their mental well-being and their professional satisfaction. Virtual nursing provides an additional layer of support which can reduce burnout and turnover amongst bedside staff. It also allows nurses who may no longer be able to meet the physical demands of bedside nursing to remain in the workforce longer and share their experience with newer nurses.

The Need for Team-Based Training In Virtual Nursing Care

Team based nursing care is a relatively new model with which nurses may simply not be familiar. Education is an important consideration when considering adopting this care model. Skills such as building trusted relationships through effective communication and conflict management are essential to virtual nursing and are a critical part of virtual nursing education. Virtual nursing is more complex than remote patient monitoring, or sitting, but both support a higher quality of care and allow nurses to contribute to patient safety through better collaborative relationships.

Creating a Virtual Nursing Model

Dr. Logue began by sharing that a one-size approach is unlikely to work when creating a virtual nursing model as leaders will need to first decide which model will work best for their organizations. One example is a virtual integrated care team model in which the nurse is a key member of the care team and will have multiple roles including patient education, staff mentoring, patient safety and surveillance, as well as patient admissions and discharges.

She went on to share that hybrid models of care include partnered staff helping to guide and support patients. They may also be able to monitor and care for patients remotely while providing collaborative support to those at the bedside. Regardless of the model, virtual nurses are able to streamline care and provide partnership for patients and their colleagues at the bedside.

Virtual Nursing and New Graduate Nurses

The first year of practice is a tenuous time for new nurses and virtual nurses can provide an extra layer of support. For example, a virtual nurse can provide medication reviews for each patient. Dr. Logue described it as a system of checks and balances with multiple eyes on each patient to analyze medication regimes and other aspects of care to ensure that there are no redundancies or discrepancies of any sort in patient care. “A seasoned virtual nurse can collaborate with less experienced clinicians to share their expertise and insights,” said Dr. Logue. Virtual nursing can help detect even the subtlest clinical changes in a patient’s condition and result in early intervention, when necessary.

Chamberlain University’s Team-Based Virtual Nursing Program 

Dr. Logue was part of the team that developed Chamberlain University’s team-based virtual nursing program and she described it as a non-traditional academic experience. Dr. Logue and her team intentionally designed the content to capture and keep the attention of the learner.

It is delivered in short, easily comprehended segments. The program is a total of four hours with continuing education credits. The program addresses the many aspects of virtual nursing and includes real-life scenarios that engage the learner and provide practical exposures to the model.

Recommendations for the Implementation of a Virtual Nursing Program

Dr. Logue recommended that when organizations consider virtual nursing programs that they begin with an assessment of their own needs. What virtual nursing model will work best for them? The answer to that question will vary by facility and Dr. Logue stressed the importance of involving stake holders in the process from the beginning. She also suggested that organizations use a change management strategy so that leaders can build buy in and acceptance for the program and evaluate the technology and infrastructure that will be required to build the program. In addition, an implementation team can help to customize the program for the organization. She also stressed the importance of patient consent and privacy as considerations when building a virtual nursing program.

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