Home health nursing topped nurse leaders’ plans a year ago, with 71% saying they intended to launch it. Today, 41% say they have such a plan in place, according to Wolters Kluwer’s 2026 nurse leader survey of more than 150 nurse leaders.
The survey is the second edition of the report. In the previous edition, which canvassed 157 nurse leaders, home health nursing ranked first among the top five care models CNOs planned to implement, Becker’s reported in April 2025.
Here is how last year’s planned models compare with what nurse leaders report now:
- Home health nursing: 71% planned; 41% in place
- Internal float pools: 68% planned; 45% in place
- Virtual nursing: 66% planned; 53% in place
- Multidisciplinary care: 61% planned; 84% in place
Multidisciplinary care, fifth on last year’s list, is the one model that outpaced expectations. Eighty-seven percent of nurse leaders using it say it is effective.
Most leaders who adopted new models say they are paying off. About 9 in 10 have embraced new care models, and 90% say the models are working well. Eighty-six percent reported positive impacts on their organization, including on outcomes (87%), nurse competencies (87%), and recruitment and retention (83%).
Sustaining them is the concern. Four in 5 nurse leaders call staffing shortages a near-constant concern, and 90% worry financial pressure will limit their ability to sustain their care models. More than half worry funding cuts could reduce patient outcomes.
Home health remains on the to-do list. Here is the share of nurse leaders forecasting a 2026 launch for each model, and the role tied to it that leaders say is in demand:
- Home health nursing: 42% forecast a launch; 40% need home health nurse coordinators
- Internal float pools: 38%; 44% need internal float pool nurses
- Virtual nursing: 34%; 52% need virtual nurses
- Telehealth: 24%; 68% need telehealth nurses
Technology is part of the picture, with 75% of nurse leaders claiming technology has already played a role in implementing their care models, while 70% said generative AI is having a positive impact. Ninety percent said faster, more effective technology onboarding is essential to workforce readiness.
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