Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.
The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models.
Methods: To explore hospital falls, generic health outcomes measures were reviewed. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and CINAHL related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. Inclusion criteria were studies related to hospital falls and the use of virtual technologies.
Results: The in-patient hospital fall rate and clinical data emerged as effective health outcomes measures. 62 articles were found in PubMed and 10 in CINAHL with five articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The literature revealed that virtual technologies in reducing inpatient fall rates hold significant promise and that there is a current lack of empirical data related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models.
Implications for Practice: This poster provides a basis for the development of a quality improvement project in a hospital system in southeastern Michigan examining the impact of a pilot hybrid virtual nursing program on in-patient hospital fall rates.
Notes
Reference list included in separate attached file.
Sigma Membership
Theta Psi at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Literature Review
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Accidental Fall Prevention, Patient Safety, Hospital Patients, Nursing Models
Recommended Citation
Colby, Lindsay E., "Hospital Falls in Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need for Future Health Outcomes Research" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 147.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/147
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-10-05
Hospital Falls in Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need for Future Health Outcomes Research
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background and Purpose: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.
The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models.
Methods: To explore hospital falls, generic health outcomes measures were reviewed. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and CINAHL related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. Inclusion criteria were studies related to hospital falls and the use of virtual technologies.
Results: The in-patient hospital fall rate and clinical data emerged as effective health outcomes measures. 62 articles were found in PubMed and 10 in CINAHL with five articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The literature revealed that virtual technologies in reducing inpatient fall rates hold significant promise and that there is a current lack of empirical data related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models.
Implications for Practice: This poster provides a basis for the development of a quality improvement project in a hospital system in southeastern Michigan examining the impact of a pilot hybrid virtual nursing program on in-patient hospital fall rates.
Description
Hybrid virtual nursing is an emerging care delivery model, but its impact on patient safety outcomes such as hospital falls remains unclear. This review identified limited evidence examining falls in hybrid virtual nursing models, highlighting a significant gap in the literature. Findings suggest virtual technologies may reduce fall rates, but further research is needed to evaluate outcomes within hybrid models.