Virtual nursing adoption is on the rise as healthcare organizations seek new ways to address staffing, capacity, and capital challenges. Integrating virtual nursing into the routine process of care delivery requires teamwork, open lines of communication, and extensive upfront planning.
I wrote previously about the trends and rationale for Virtual Nursing. Now I will focus on the implementation.
Successful implementation involves input from clinicians, IT, administrators, and patients. It requires meticulous planning and assessments of various workflows and processes. It also requires a long look into existing technology to establish a new mode of communication and care delivery that builds on what you have.
While the finer details vary by healthcare system, Pixel Health uses the following steps and best practices to implement successful virtual nursing programs.
Above all, we understand that a successful Virtual Nursing program must be adopted and accepted by the Nursing staff. They must feel heard and that their feedback is incorporated into the operating model. While this sounds obvious, we often must remind organizations that Nursing (vs. IT or another department) is the driver. This notion guides us as we collaboratively design and implement this program.
1. Discovery
The first stage of implementation requires a deep dive into your goals. That starts with a thorough evaluation of people-process-technology-experience. As we described in our previous blog, that framework includes an understanding of your current and future states.
We take an open mind, listen to concerns, and suggest approaches that best serve the project, not some predetermined standard. We also bring in the right mix of clinical, technical, and project management experts to move your project forward.
2. Design
A large, transformative project like virtual nursing implementation requires extensive upfront planning to ensure an ideal result. We work together with your clinicians (but led by Nursing) to design new workflows, staffing models, and technology requirements. This plan supports the healthcare system’s goals; more importantly, it supports nurses working at the bedside. That, in turn, enhances the patient care experience.
We work closely with your nurses to ensure the design best suits their needs and their workflows. We also reach out to patients for feedback once the program launches. Once we define how to measure success, we refine the program based on clinician and patient feedback.
3. Technology
After thorough discovery and planning, we identify technology vendors that meet your specific workflow and technical requirements. Instead of an extensive overhaul, we aim to work with existing technology to keep costs under control.
For example, if a health system uses incompatible software in one department, we’ll design different workflows to accommodate. If a health system has multiple locations with multiple workflows, we’ll evaluate the differences and recommend technology that best suits that location.
4. Implementation
At this stage we have an implementation plan and a recommended suite of technology products. We make changes with zero technology downtime and with as little disruption to patients and clinicians as possible. Our technical experts complete a long list of tasks, like connecting virtual systems to existing call systems and installing the appropriate type and number of monitors and cameras, and other hardware.
Along the way, we spot and resolve any issues that may arise. For example, when one of our west coast clients experienced latency issues, we identified the source of the problem—servers 2,500 miles away. A simple adjustment to the network resolved the issue.
Refinement continues well after your virtual nursing program goes live. We listen to feedback from clinicians and patients and evaluate performance improvement data like decreases in call response times, fall rates, or missed diagnoses. This information helps us optimize your current program as well as guide future investments.
As patient volume increases and staffing remains a challenge, virtual nursing will become a necessity for maintaining or improving care quality.
Take time to assess your objectives and current nursing workflows to design a program that suits your hospital’s mission, needs, and budget. By taking a patient-centered approach, Pixel Health experts will help you create and implement a virtual nursing program that gives patients the care they need while making best use of your most valuable asset—your people.
Contact Pixel Health to discuss your virtual nursing objectives.
