Warr says it’s critical to identify specific KPIs in evaluating the success of a Virtual Nursing program, and to focus on small, measurable actions rather than larger concepts. For example, it’s great to say such a program will reduce time spent on admissions and discharge, but there are many factors that go into those processes that Virtual Nursing won’t affect.

Intermountain Health’s new Telehealth for Nursing program may be checking all the boxes for a virtual nursing pilot, with KPIs that focus on improving patient outcomes and cutting down on wasted time. But executives are also keeping an eye on the intangibles.

Virtual nursing provides new opportunities for nurses to have more flexibility, and for hospitals to use their staff more efficiently. A single nurse can now observe more patients at once, and watch for signs of patient discomfort or distress. Tenured nurses can stay employed longer, without having to worry about working long shifts, and they can support new nurses virtually.