Implementing a virtual care model can mitigate workforce challenges, transform patient care, and boost operational efficiency, but embarking on such an initiative on a large scale can be overwhelming. Instead, adopting a gradual approach enables manageable implementation and fine-tuning. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you with growth for a virtual care model:

Start Small

Ensuring growth for a virtual care model requires a steady foundation. By piloting it in a specific unit that aligns with your hospital’s unique needs and resources:

• Start on a Medical/Surgical Unit: Ideal for a “controlled” environment to troubleshoot and refine workflows.
• Start on the Busiest Unit: Addresses immediate patient flow and resource management impacts. If you can make it work here, it will likely work on less busy units and save some time on the iteration cycle.
• Emergency Department: Aims to streamline admissions and potentially reduce boarding times.

Use Existing Technology

Minimize initial costs by leveraging technology you already have:

• Bring Your Device (BYOD): Allow patients to use their devices to access the virtual care nurses, avoiding or slow-walking the need for new technology investments.
• Current Systems: Integrate virtual care with your existing electronic health records (EHR) and communication systems.

Create Simple Workflows

Focus on developing straightforward workflows to address your most pressing needs:

• Discharge Process: Enhance bed turnover and patient throughput by implementing a virtual discharge process, helping free up beds faster and reducing patient wait times.
• Admissions: Use virtual care to streamline admissions in the Emergency Department, ensuring timely patient placement and care.

Utilize Existing Staff

Cut down on startup costs by utilizing your current workforce:

• PRN Staff or Overtime: Employ part-time or overtime staff to support the growth of a virtual care model.
• Light Duty Staff: Assign virtual care tasks to staff on light duty, keeping experienced personnel engaged and productive. Ideally, don’t rotate too many staff through the VN team; practice makes perfect in this nursing specialty.

Identify the Problem that you are trying to solve

Clearly define the issue your virtual care model aims to resolve:

• Patient Throughput: Are delays in discharging patients causing bottlenecks?
• Offloading Documentation: Virtual nursing is used for time-intensive documentation such as admission and discharge documentation, patient education, and rapid response/code documentation.
• Resource Management: Is there a need for better allocation of nursing staff or equipment?

Measure Success

Establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your pilot project:

• Discharge Times: Track reductions in discharge times and bed turnover rates.
• Nurse Job Satisfaction and Turnover: Measure the improvements made on the units that are the beneficiaries of virtual nursing.
• Patient Satisfaction: Gather patient feedback on their virtual care experience through surveys.
• Staff Utilization: Monitor improvements in staff workload and efficiency.

Conclusion

Starting small with a virtual care model facilitates gradual integration and adjustment, leading to a smoother transition and a higher likelihood of success. By using existing technology, creating simple workflows, leveraging current staff, and defining and measuring success metrics, you can create growth for a virtual care model that enhances patient care and operational efficiency while managing upfront costs.