Virtual Nursing: Revolutionizing Healthcare
Key Points
Virtual nursing provides remote support to patients and bedside staff through teleconferencing, patient-room TVs, or virtual command centers.
Virtual nurses manage patient intake, ID verification, discharge instructions, health education and allow bedside nurses to focus on hands-on care.
One-third of the healthcare systems in the U.S. use virtual nursing.
The average salary of virtual nurses ranges between $70K–$100K annually in the U.S.
What Is Virtual Nursing?
Virtual nursing is a new-age model that is transforming healthcare. At its core, virtual nursing involves experienced registered nurses providing remote support to patients and bedside staff through digital tools like teleconferencing, patient-room TVs, or virtual command centers. These virtual nurses manage non-clinical but essential tasks, easing the burden on in-person staff and improving hospital efficiency.
Virtual Nurse
Virtual nurse works remotely often from a hospital control center or even home to handle high-volume, administrative, or educational duties such as patient intake, identity verification, discharge instructions, and health education. This model allows virtual nursing assistants to take on time-consuming tasks that would otherwise fall on bedside nurses, freeing them to focus on hands-on, critical care. A recent study found that this approach reduced average inpatient length of stay by over 7% and cut readmission rates by around 2%.
Virtual Nursing Jobs
Hospitals nationwide are increasingly hiring virtual nursing positions to tackle staffing shortages and enhance patient care. In fact, approximately one-third of healthcare systems have adopted virtual nursing in some form. Programs started as ‘Virtual ICU’ models in the medical universities have evolved into broader virtual nursing job offerings, supporting bedside staffs and mentoring new nurses. These virtual nursing jobs span roles such as triage, case management, tele-education, and nursing informatics providing varied career paths for nurses seeking remote flexibility and reduced burnout.
Virtual Nurse Salary
As of 2024, telehealth nursing roles including virtual nursing offer average annual salaries ranging from $70,000 to $100,000 in the U.S., depending on position and experience. Following are the salaries per hour for specific remote roles;
Telehealth triage: $30–$45 per hour
Remote case manager: $35–$50 per hour
Utilization review nurse: $35–$55 per hour
Nurse informaticist (often remote): $80,000–$120,000 per year
Virtual nursing salaries are competitive, they often come with added benefits like flexible schedules, no commute, and better work-life balance.
Key Trends Fueling Virtual Nursing’s Momentum
Several recent trends are accelerating the impact of virtual nursing:
Telehealth and Telenursing Expansion: The broader field of delivering nursing care remotely continues to grow, especially for home care, triage, and chronic condition management. One tele-nurse can “visit” 12–16 patients remotely compared to 5–7 in traditional home visits.
AI Integration and Smart Healthcare: Artificial intelligence supports tasks like remote patient monitoring, triage, and documentation. AI-enabled systems monitor vital signs, flag emergencies, and assist care teams.
Advanced Training via Virtual Tools: Technologies like immersive virtual reality (VR) and LLM-based virtual patients (VPs) are improving clinical training for nurses, particularly around communication and simulation exercises.
Growing Demand and Job Availability: The nursing workforce continues to face shortages. The U.S. is projected to have more than 200,000 new nursing job openings annually through at least 2026. Registered nurse employment is projected to increase by 6% from 2023 to 2033, while nurse practitioner positions may grow by up to 40%.
These trends highlight both the urgency and potential for virtual nursing as a strategic response enhancing patient safety, boosting efficiency, and expanding career pathways.
Looking Ahead: Virtual Nursing Over the Next Decade
Over the next decade, virtual nursing is set to:
Become a mainstream complement to in-person care, enhancing workflows and outcomes without replacing the bedside role.
Incorporate AI and wearable technology for proactive monitoring and risk prevention, especially in elder care and high-risk settings.
Elevate remote training and mentorship, using VR to ensure competence and confidence among new graduates.
Attract more nurses to remote-friendly roles, appealing especially to those seeking flexible schedules, balance, and longevity in the profession.
Alleviate nurse burnout and shortages, with virtual nursing absorbing administrative burdens and improving retention in clinical teams.
As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with staffing gaps and rising demand, virtual nursing stands out as a sustainable, scalable innovation, one that empowers both patients and practitioners.
At BridgeWay, we believe in fostering the next generation of nurses who are adaptable, tech-savvy, and ready for evolving healthcare landscapes. The growth of virtual nursing highlights the crucial role of innovation in nursing education and the need for scholarships to support aspiring nurses pursuing virtual nursing and remote care careers.
The BridgeWay Nursing Scholarship serves as a bridge between traditional practice and emerging models to empower candidates to thrive as virtual nursing assistants, triage specialists, or nurse informaticists. By investing in students who embrace both clinical excellence and digital mastery, BridgeWay propels the profession forward ensuring that nurses not only adapt to trends but lead them.