1. Bedside nurse teams are evolving and expanding
Some of the most visible healthcare model changes are happening at the bedside. Health systems are redesigning team roles to better support nurses, reduce individual workloads, and extend care beyond hospital walls.
Key changes:
- Expanded bedside roles now include licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), paramedics, virtual nurses, and upskilled patient care technicians who work alongside registered nurses to share responsibilities more effectively.
- Role clarification helps teams work together more smoothly by specifying responsibilities for LVNs and paramedics from the start.
- New, transition-focused roles and emphasis on home health readiness are preparing nurses to confidently support patients after hospital discharge.
- Virtual nursing, once met with pushback, became essential once nurses saw how it reduced discharge workload and increased time available to provide bedside patient care.
The virtual nursing model, in particular, has seen growing acceptance. During the discussion, one nurse leader noted that although nurses were initially resistant — by feeling they needed another nurse on the unit, not just someone behind a camera — they have become completely committed and reliant on their virtual colleagues.
2. Digital tools deliver most efficiencies to nurses
Digital tools are playing increasingly important supporting roles. When used thoughtfully, digital tools reduce documentation time and streamline workflows, which frees nurses up, as one leader said, to “do other things that innovation or technology can’t do.”
Practice examples:
- AI-generated shift reports are being piloted to streamline end-of-shift documentation that pulls from nursing notes to create accurate handoffs.
- Wearable devices now feed vitals directly into a patient’s electronic health record every hour, which reduces unnecessary interruptions and enables clinicians to redirect their focus to patients.
- Ambient listening, an AI-led tool that supports conversations with patients, is already in use by physicians and is being explored for use in nursing to ease the administrative burden.
The success of those tools depends on more than just rolling them out; it also requires nurse input, workflow alignment, and training. As another leader put it, “We’re trying to mitigate burnout, enhance job satisfaction, and get people back to doing what they entered the profession for.”
3. Innovation in care means learning from missteps
Innovation in care delivery is about trying new things, learning quickly, and focusing on what helps care teams. Health systems are embracing a fail-fast mindset by piloting new models or tools in small settings, evaluating them quickly, and scaling only if they work. Some ideas don’t succeed, and that’s expected. One leader’s institution has an entire category labeled “RIP” (rest in peace) for pilots that didn’t pan out.
The things that matter are to ensure transparency, learn from missteps, and assess whether a change supports nurses rather than overburdening them. The goal is to streamline workflows, not complicate them. Members of the panel agreed that if perceived benefit isn’t clear to staff, the project doesn’t move forward.
4. Nurses’ well-being in workflow redesign should be a priority
A guiding principle in workflow change involves increasing well-being and decreasing burnout, said one leader. Joy in the workplace cannot be overlooked or taken for granted; it must be part of the strategy from the start.
Supporting efforts:
- Redesign of care models must consider culture, team readiness, and continued development.
- Professional development should be prioritized via certifications, innovation centers, conference attendance, and shared governance.
- Hands-on training should have teams interacting directly with technology in simulation labs, during pilots, and throughout implementation.
- Academic partnerships help prepare for AI, virtual care, and clinical informatics.
As AI and other tools evolve, nurses need training and trust to decide when technology helps and when it gets in the way.
