Virtual nurses cut hospital stays by 7%, reducing readmissions: study
NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES — Hospitals grappling with nurse shortages are turning to virtual nurses to streamline care, and it’s working, a new study revealed.
Virtual nurses improve efficiency and patient outcomes
Researchers with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan-Flagler Business School analyzed 28,000 inpatient encounters across two hospitals, including one that implemented a Virtual Nurse (VN) program.
They discovered that VNs shortened the average length of stay by 7.18%, or about six fewer hours per patient. Furthermore, the rates of 30-day readmission decreased by about 2%, which implies improved post-discharge results.
The key driver of these improvements is early intervention. Virtual nurses excel during admissions—standardizing intake, verifying patient history, and accelerating treatment plans.
This upfront coordination shortens hospital stays and reduces complications later. However, VNs had less impact during discharges, highlighting that efficient beginnings matter most for long-term care quality.
“The VN program leverages very senior nurses with deep institutional and clinical knowledge,” one of the researchers said. “That drives those care quality impacts.”
Program success hinges on infrastructure, nurse experience
Not all virtual nursing programs deliver equal results. The study found that VNs thrived in moderately busy departments but struggled during peak congestion or with unreliable technology.
As an example, having poor Wi-Fi necessitated the bedside nurses to step in, compromising the efficiency. The hospitals should also be installing strong infrastructure to prevent interruptions.
Another critical factor is nurse expertise. The most significant gains came when virtual nurses had more experience than their bedside counterparts. Retiring nurses or nurses seeking flexibility in their work could fill this void by leveraging existing institutional knowledge through remote work.
This hybrid strategy is scalable, yet only when implemented responsibly, since hospitals are projected to experience a shortage of 300,000 nurses as early as 2027.
Strategic tool for a global nursing shortage
Virtual nursing is not necessarily an interim measure; it is a strategic tool. In the case of hospitals such as those in the research, this model equalizes work distribution, maintains knowledge, and enhances results.
However, achieving this depends on having excellent technology, skilled employees, and ensuring the appropriate workflow phase is covered. As staffing crises deepen, health systems worldwide may find VNs aren’t just optional—they’re essential.
