Virtual wards: benefits, challenges and required skills

Virtual wards have benefits for both nursing staff and patients, although nurses need to make key considerations about their own practice when providing care in this context. Virtual wards provide system-wide opportunities that could help shape the workforce. This article identifies their benefits and challenges, as well as their impact on practice.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

In this article…

• The current and future picture of virtual wards in the UK

• Virtual wards’ implications for practice and required nursing skills

• How supportive patients and staff are of virtual wards

Key points

Virtual wards provide hospital-level care in a patient’s home, combining remote monitoring and face-to-face treatment

Virtual wards provide career and development opportunities for nurses

‘Soft’ skills and autonomous working are needed for virtual wards

Patients with a clear diagnosis, suitable living conditions and family support are most suitable

Provision of virtual wards varies greatly across the UK, and further analysis of their benefits is needed