Virtual Nursing Report: Addressing the Future of Healthcare

This report delves into the emerging concept of virtual nursing, examining its potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. It begins with a synopsis highlighting the use of technology to provide excellent care and consultation remotely. The report explores the key findings, including facts, statistics, and case studies illustrating the growing adoption of virtual nursing. It discusses the advantages of virtual nursing, such as reduced waiting times and costs, and provides examples of its implementation by organizations like Phillips and TeleHealth Services. The report also addresses the technological aspects of virtual nursing, emphasizing the need for large, split-screen monitors for accessing patient records. Finally, the report concludes with recommendations, emphasizing the need for cost-effective technologies, data security, and the importance of balancing technological advancements with the human touch in patient care.

Running head: VIRTUAL NURSING
VIRTUAL NURSING
Name of the Student:
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Table of Contents
Synopsis............................................................................................................2
Introduction........................................................................................................3
Findings.............................................................................................................3
Facts...............................................................................................................3
Statistics.........................................................................................................3
Case Studies..................................................................................................3
Graphics.........................................................................................................4
Conclusion.........................................................................................................4
Recommendations.............................................................................................4
References.........................................................................................................6

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Synopsis
With advancements in technology and growing demand of nursing services, virtual
nursing has emerged as a novel concept. Using high quality technology coupled with
easy accessibility of patient records, virtual nurses can deliver excellent care and
consultation across distances without the need of the physical presence of a nurse.
Further, virtual nursing has emerged to provide novel career opportunities to nurses
and is also regarded as time saving by consumers. A number of electronic
organizations have incorporated virtual nursing technologies. However, further
research is require to provide cost-effective, easy-to-understand technologies for
patients with special health and financial needs.

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Introduction
With the rising rates of patient populations in hospitals, especially in remote
areas and in situations where the nursing population may be inadequate,
advancements in technology have resulted in the emergence of the concept of
‘virtual nurses’ (Abbott & Shaw, 2016). The following report aims to shed light on the
key findings associated with facts, statistics and case studies of virtual nurses,
followed by recommendations on future usage.
Findings
Facts
With the reducing need to require the physical presence of a nurse as a result
of technology, the emergence of eHealth and telehealth services have resulted in the
need for virtual nurses. Virtual nursing, involving communication between a nurse
and a patient or other nursing staff using information technology, has now spurted
the growth of innovative nursing professionals. Potential virtual nurses can now
function in innovative jobs like freelance nurse writers, providing medical alerts in the
form of health informatics and providing telephonic services via triage nursing
(Boston-Fleischhauer, 2017).
Statistics
According to the Accenture 2018 Consumer Survey on Digital Health, almost
47% of patients prefer receiving virtual care since it cuts down on waiting time.
Consumers and healthcare organizations also believe that virtual nursing facilities
provide additional key advantages in terms of reduced medical costs (54%),
provision of timely care (43%) and improved accommodation of patients’ schedules
(Accenture, 2019).

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Case Studies
At present, electronic strongholds like Phillips are pioneering virtual nursing
triage care, through its eICU software known as eCareManager which allows nurses
to provide triage care across distances with their high definition split screen monitors
(Phillips, 2019). Additionally, TeleHeath Services have launched iCare Navigator –
an easily accessible virtual platform where nurses and patients can engage with a
nurse for clinical consultation via just a touch on their tablets or hospital TV screens
(Kiger, 2019).
Graphics
Considering the virtual nurses role in monitoring patient records and vital sign
details, technology underlying graphics must involve large, split screen based
monitors, as provided by Phillips eCare Manager, which allows simultaneous access
to a patient’s electronic health records, present disease conditions and well as data
projected across bedside monitors or intravenous bags (Phillips, 2019).
Conclusion
Hence, to conclude, virtual nursing is emerging as a novel technology for
bridging the gap between patients and healthcare. However, there lies key
considerations pertaining to the same, as discussed below.
Recommendations
It is worthwhile to note that virtual nursing technologies require advanced
technologies necessitating increased direction of funds, which may be difficult to
implement by remote healthcare organizations catering to low income groups.
Considering that such disadvantaged patient populations have the highest need for
such services, provisions must be made for the development of cost effective

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technologies or increased funding available to such organizations (Bickmore et al.,
2015). Further, personalised virtual nursing software may not be feasible for patients
not adept with technology or inflicted with neuro-cognitive conditions. Further, virtual
nursing care is heavily dependent on electronic medical records of the patient, so
two factors must be considered: provision of quality data security free from privacy
breaches and nursing promptness in filling accurate patient information in records.
Lastly, advanced artificial intelligence systems in nursing may altogether defeat the
importance of nursing empathy and personal tough in patient care, hence, still
necessitating physical presence of the nurse (Klingensmith & Knodel, 2016).

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References
Abbott, M. B., & Shaw, P. (2016). Virtual nursing avatars: Nurse roles and evolving
concepts of care. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 21(3).
Accenture. (2019). 2018 Consumer Survey on Digital Health. Retrieved from
https://www.accenture.com/t20180306T103559Z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-71/
accenture-health-2018-consumer-survey-digital-health.pdf.
Bickmore, T., Utami, D., Zhou, S., Sidner, C., Quintiliani, L., & Paasche-Orlow, M. K.
(2015, August). Automated explanation of research informed consent by virtual
agents. In International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents (pp. 260-269).
Springer, Cham.
Boston-Fleischhauer, C. (2017). The explosion of virtual nursing care. Journal of
Nursing Administration, 47(2), 85-87.
Kiger, P. (2019). Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Nurses in the Hospital. Retrieved from
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/hospital-artificial-
intelligence-telehealth.html.
Klingensmith, L., & Knodel, L. (2016). Mercy Virtual Nursing: An Innovative Care
Delivery Model. Nurse Leader, 14(4), 275-279.
Phillips. (2019). The virtual nurse is here. Retrieved from https://www.philips.com/a-
w/about/news/archive/blogs/innovation-matters/the-virtual-nurse-is-here.html.