Virtual sitting found to reduce nurse burnout in new study

Editor's Note

In this study first published by the Western Journal of Nursing Research in August 2023, virtual sitting technology was found to reduce burnout among nurses, particularly those who are already feeling drained and less committed. The study was titled, “An Experience Sampling Analysis of the Impact of Video Monitoring Technology and In-Person Sitters on Nurse Burnout: The Moderating Effect of Nurse Commitment and Mediating Effect of Emotional Labor.”

Virtual sitting, as defined by the study, is an alternative to one-to-one sitting, where nurses are required to sit with one patient around the clock. The study looked at 524 survey administrations provided by 74 nurses from Alaska and Washington state, including daily video monitoring technology and in-person sitting, emotional labor, emotional exhaustion, and nurse career commitment. 

Among the findings:

• The results confirmed that virtual sitting was beneficial for nurse well-being compared to one-on-one sitting, reducing the effects of burnout. 
• In a 2020 study in the Journal of Nursing Measurement, researchers found that bedside nurses viewed virtual sitting as an increased resource for patient safety as well. 

The study provides further support for the benefits of virtual sitting, which has already been shown in previous studies to improve patient safety and reserve hospital resources.