Standardized metrics needed for virtual nursing, study concludes

Further research should evaluate integrated virtual nursing systems using rigorous designs, standardized staffing metrics and reporting of workflow integration, as well as accounts for patients’ acuity and age, concludes a virtual nursing scoping study. The article, published in Nursing Outlook, says this evidence will support scalable and sustainable implementation of nurse-led virtual care models. The authors note variation across virtual nursing initiatives is likely due to differences in implementation maturity, organizational readiness and leadership engagement, rather than virtual nursing’s effectiveness. They say hospitals should determine staffing based on the program’s intent and operational model. They call for a standardized core reporting framework, similar to a minimum data set for virtual nursing, to enable nursing leaders to compare outcomes and staffing efficiency across clinical settings. (Nursing Outlook article, 5/26/26)