Mapping application, facilitators, and barriers to virtual nursing for inpatients in acute care hospitals: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to map and describe the use of virtual nursing in acute care hospitals, guided by Donabedian's model of structure, process, and outcomes. It also seeks to identify key facilitators, barriers, and knowledge gaps relevant to the implementation and adaptation of virtual nursing models. INTRODUCTION: Virtual nurses collaborate with bedside nurses in acute care hospitals to deliver inpatient care through telecommunication technologies. Amid widespread nursing shortages, virtual nursing is increasingly viewed as a strategy to address workforce challenges while maintaining care quality and patient safety. An estimated 52% of US hospitals use hybrid models combining virtual and bedside roles. However, evidence of outcomes is limited, and descriptions of virtual nursing are often inconsistent and anecdotal in the literature. While virtual nursing models potentially improve workforce efficiency, support bedside nurses, and improve care standards, their success depends on effective, evidence-informed implementation. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: This review will include studies involving the care of hospitalized patients by nurses (participants) using virtual nursing for inpatient care (concept) in acute care hospital settings, including surgical, medical, and mixed wards (context). Studies that focus exclusively on critical care, outpatient and primary care, aged and community care, and school nursing will be excluded. METHODS: This review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported according to PRISMA-ScR. Searches will be conducted in Embase, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, alongside gray literature from government health departments and nursing regulatory bodies. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts against the eligibility criteria, followed by full-text screening. Data will be extracted from the included papers by 2 reviewers. The findings will be presented in tabular, visual, and narrative format. REVIEW REGISTRATION: OSF https://osf.io/e2jfv/.