Vir tual Nursing Initiatives in an Urban Hospital System: A Discussion of Successful Interventions and Future Directions

The implementation of virtual nursing enables remote support, which reduces the workload of bedside nurses and enhances patient care. Its use expanded in response to workforce shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has since gained approval from bedside staff and patients while helping mitigate staff burnout. Virtual nursing interventions have shown to improve patient safety and quality of care. At Houston Methodist Hospital, virtual nursing is facilitated through an artificial intelligence-assisted care platform, delivered via mobile carts equipped with tablets or two-way wall-mounted cameras with audio and visual capabilities. This discussion highlights virtual nursing initiatives across our academic flagship hospital and seven satellite hospitals, which commenced in June 2022. This article concludes with the authors’ vision of future goals for expansion.