How Virtual Nursing and Flexible Staffing Enhance Hybrid Patient Care
What happens when you combine virtual nursing with flexible staffing? You get a powerful blend of technological innovation and bedside care continuity. As you'll see, these two labor models can work together as part of a hybrid patient care strategy that enhances cost-effectiveness, reduces nurse burnout, and boosts patient satisfaction, especially during high admission surges.
Virtual Nursing in Hospitals on the Rise
Hospitals and health systems nationwide are extending the reach and quality of their healthcare services by using virtual nursing or telehealth programs to complement bedside nurses. It's an attractive strategy because it allows healthcare organizations to expand their workforce to include experienced nurses looking to reduce hours or retire because of physical limitations.
Virtual RNs can field tasks such as admissions, documentation, remote monitoring, and discharges, allowing bedside nurses to focus on providing direct quality care. Furthermore, seasoned nurses within the virtual realm can act as a second line of defense for less-experienced bedside nurses.
Flexible Staffing Bridges Scheduling Gaps
While virtual nursing is revolutionizing healthcare delivery, hospitals may still face challenges when managing seasonal fluctuations and unexpected admission surges due to a shortage of bedside nurses. This is where flexible staffing becomes crucial, seamlessly integrating into a hybrid patient care strategy.
ShiftMed exemplifies this solution with its expansive on-demand healthcare workforce marketplace, featuring over 350,000 nursing professionals. This flexible platform allows nurses to choose their working hours and locations, providing a responsive and adaptable staffing solution for healthcare facilities needing to fill scheduling gaps quickly.
When hospitals experience spikes in patient volume or need to address temporary gaps in staffing, they can tap into this marketplace to quickly and efficiently secure local, credentialed nurses. This on-demand approach ensures that hospitals can maintain high standards of care without overburdening internal staff or dealing with the delays or inefficiencies associated with traditional staffing agency methods.
6 Ways Virtual Nurses and On-Demand Nurses Work Great Together
More specifically, here are six ways virtual nurses and on-demand nurses can work together as part of an effective hybrid patient care strategy:
1. Constant Care
Experienced internal nursing staff can virtually monitor a patient's vital signs, medication adherence, and overall health status, while an on-demand nurse provides emotional support, facilitates prescribed routines, and assists with mobility and comfort.
2. Patient Admissions
Virtual nurses can monitor bed availability in real-time and coordinate admissions accordingly. They can work closely with on-demand nurses to prioritize admissions based on bed availability, patient acuity, and other factors, optimizing resource utilization and reducing wait times for incoming patients.
3. Patient Discharges
Virtual nurses can engage with patients before discharge to provide education about post-discharge care instructions, medication management, and follow-up appointments. They can ensure that patients understand their care plans and are ready for discharge, which can reduce the time needed for on-demand nurses to explain these details upon discharge.
4. Initial Assessment
Virtual nurses can assess a patient's conditions, determine the urgency of their needs, and provide medical advice or instructions. If a patient requires immediate attention, the virtual nurse can coordinate with an on-demand nurse to provide in-person care.
5. Bedside Support
Virtual nurses can provide support by offering guidance, consultations, and access to medical records, ensuring that on-demand nurses have the information and support they need to deliver high-quality care.
6. Labor Savings
Utilizing virtual nurses alongside on-demand nurses during times of peak patient census is a more cost-effective alternative to employing travel agency nurses.
Conclusion
Integrating virtual nursing with flexible staffing represents a transformative shift in hybrid patient care. By combining the reach and efficiency of virtual nurses with the adaptability and immediate presence of on-demand staffing, healthcare organizations can achieve a more resilient and responsive care model. So, as healthcare continues to evolve, leveraging innovative labor models will be key to delivering cost-effective, comprehensive, and patient-centered care.
Discover how ShiftMed can elevate your healthcare workforce strategy. Schedule a consultation with us today!