Hospitals Are Hiring Virtual Nurses — Here’s What Nurses Need to Know

Virtual nursing isn’t a future concept anymore — it’s already happening. Hospitals across the U.S. are actively hiring virtual nurses to support bedside staff, monitor patients remotely, and reduce burnout. If you’re a nurse wondering what this means for your job, your license, or your long-term career, here’s the real breakdown.

No hype. No fear-mongering. Just what nurses actually need to know.

What Is a Virtual Nurse?

To put it plainly, a virtual nurse is a licensed nurse who provides care, oversight, or support remotely using video, audio, and electronic health records. They aren't physically at the bedside, but they're still part of the care team.

Depending on the hospital, these nurse could:

• Admit and discharge patients

• Complete patient education

• Monitor vitals and safety via camera systems

• Support bedside nurses with documentation

• Act as a second set of eyes for high-risk patients

A few other titles are virtual nursing, tele-nursing, or remote nursing.

Why Hospitals Are Hiring Virtual Nurses Now

 This shift isn’t being sold as replacing bedside nurses — but they say an attempt at keeping hospitals functioning.

Hospitals are dealing with:

• Severe nurse staffing shortages

• High turnover and burnout

• Increased patient acuity

• Documentation overload

It's believed that virtual nurses allow hospitals to:

• Keep experienced nurses working longer

• Reduce bedside workload

• Improve patient safety

• Retain nurses who can’t or don’t want to work physically on the floor anymore
  
  

In many cases, virtual nursing is being used to support bedside nurses, not eliminate them.

Is Virtual Nursing Replacing Bedside Nursing?

Short answer: No — well, not right now.

Long answer: Virtual nursing is changing how care is delivered, not removing the need for bedside nurses.

Our patients still need:

• Hands-on assessments

• Physical care

• Procedures

• Human presence

What virtual nurses do is offload:

• Admissions

• Discharges

• Education

• Monitoring

• Documentation support
  
  

IF they are sticking to they stated plan, this actually can make bedside nursing more sustainable, especially for nurses early in their careers.

Who this Virtual Nursing model Is Best For

Virtual nursing roles are especially appealing to:

• Nurses with injuries or physical limitations

• Nurses experiencing burnout

• Older or highly experienced nurses

• Nurses seeking work-from-home options

• Nurses transitioning away from bedside
  
  

Many hospitals value clinical experience over physical ability for these roles.

Skills Nurses Need for Virtual Nursing

If you’re considering virtual nursing, hospitals typically look for:

• Strong clinical judgment

• Excellent communication skills

• Comfort with technology

• Ability to work independently

• Solid documentation habits
  
  

These roles are less about speed and more about critical thinking and communication.

What This Means for Nurses Long-Term

Virtual nursing is part of a larger shift toward:

• Hybrid nursing roles

• Technology-supported care

• Flexible nursing careers
  
  

For nurses, this creates:

• New career paths

• Longer career longevity

• More options beyond bedside burnout
  
  

It also means nurses who adapt and understand these systems will have an advantage moving forward.

The Bottom Line

The best move- (like all the other things they force on us) is to embrace Virtual nursing, not fear it — it’s just something new to understand.

Hospitals are hiring virtual nurses because the current system is unsustainable. For nurses, this shift can mean more flexibility, better work-life balance, and new ways to stay in the profession without destroying your body or mental health.

The Real World of nursing is changing — and nurses deserve to change with it.