NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE VIRTUALNURSING

Experts weigh in on the joys and woes of telehealth

HUNTER BOYCE

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Telehealth has reached new heights in popularity following a workforce-crippling pandemic

That being said, not all health care heroes are behind the concept of virtual nursing.

According to a survey by NSI Nursing Solutions, registered nurse turnover stood at roughly 27% in 2022. Meanwhile, RN vacancy rates were at 17.1%. According to Medpage Today, all of those nursing vacancies have hit the health care industry with a growing knowledge gap. Virtual nursing is partially designed to close that gap

New nurses are “scared to death” of making a mistake when they first come onto the floor, Wendy Deibert, MBA, BSN, senior vice president of clinical solutions for Caregility, told Medpage Today.

“They’re thrown into a world with not a lot of experience behind them,” she said “So having a button on the wall where you can push... at a moment’s notice and get a nurse in that room to assist (is a huge help).

“I can zoom in to [see] exactly what they’re doing and give direction and support, so that they don’t feel like they’re out there on a limb by themselves. Not only does that boost their confidence, but it also really stops that turnover, because if they get too scared and do not feel supported, they’re not going to stay there ”

Steve Polega, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer of University of Michigan HealthWest, however, believes utilizing virtual nursing is a lost cause

“As a nurse of 25 years, I believe that nursing is a calling and a gift,” he told

Becker’s Hospital Review. “It is a huge responsibility to be trusted by our patients and families to be the eyes, ears and caring hands at the bedside. Nursing is all about connecting with people. To earn that trust, I believe that you need to be at the bedside Nursing is about that kind touch, that smile, those reassuring things that we can do for patients and families.

“It is very challenging to have that real human connection through virtual care. I think we all lose if this trend continues We have to optimize our technologies to make our nurses more efficient and effective, but at the end of the day, nurses put the humanity into care and need to be present and at the bedside ”

It’s a point that perhaps needs to be put to the test