As Virtual Nursing becomes a core component of inpatient care delivery, health systems are facing a new and urgent challenge: ensuring nurses are prepared—not just trained—to practice confidently in a hybrid, technology-enabled environment.
That challenge was the focus of a recent Caregility gathering of the CNO Collective, where nursing executives, residency leaders, informatics experts, and educators came together to share experiences and perspectives on nurse readiness for connected care models.
The Workforce Pressure Behind Virtual Nursing Adoption
Healthcare leaders are navigating unprecedented workforce constraints. Demand for nurses continues to rise, yet nursing programs are struggling to expand enrollment due to faculty shortages, limited clinical placement capacity, and budget constraints. At the same time, the average age of practicing nurses remains high, with many experienced clinicians approaching retirement.
These pressures are driving health systems to adopt virtual nursing models that can extend clinical expertise, rebalance workloads, and reduce burnout at the bedside. But as participants emphasized, virtual care is not simply “plug-and-play.”
“We have aspects of virtual care today, but what matters most is how we use these models to truly augment frontline staff who are overwhelmed and overworked,” shared one CNO participant.
For clinical, technology, and financial leaders alike, the takeaway was clear: Virtual Nursing must be paired with intentional workforce strategy to deliver sustainable value.
Competency Is Not Enough – Confidence Is the Gap
One of the most consistent themes was the confidence gap faced by new-to-practice nurses, particularly after they come off orientation.
“Outside of competency, this really speaks to confidence,” said Jennifer Zipp, DNP, MS, RN, Executive Director of the Maryland Nurse Residency Collaborative. “When nurses lose that constant tether to a preceptor, stress and fear rise dramatically.”
Virtual Nursing was repeatedly cited as a way to bridge this gap, providing real-time access to experienced clinicians who can validate decisions, answer questions, and reinforce best practices without pulling resources away from the unit. For nurse leaders, this support model helps stabilize early-career nurses. For financial leaders, it represents a pathway to improved retention and reduced turnover costs, a growing concern across health systems.
Virtual Nurses as Coaches, Mentors & Role Models
Beyond task support, participants highlighted the powerful role virtual nurses can play as coaches and role models, particularly in the area of communication.
“You’re not just supporting the nurse at the bedside, you’re role modeling how to communicate with patients,” noted Quinn Collins, Executive Director of Nursing from Johns Hopkins. “They’re learning by watching how you explain, engage, and guide.”
This insight reframed Virtual Nursing as more than a staffing solution. Leaders discussed how virtual nurses can function as:
- Extensions of nurse residency programs
- On-demand mentors during high-risk moments
- Reinforcements of clinical judgment and communication standards
For CIOs and digital health leaders, this underscores the importance of deploying connected care platforms that support real-time collaboration, not just passive monitoring.
Rethinking Nurse Education for a Connected Care Environment
Another key discussion centered on the growing disconnect between traditional nursing education and modern care delivery. Many academic programs remain heavily focused on National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) preparation, which is the standardized exam required for nurses to become licensed in the U.S. This leaves limited room to address emerging competencies such as:
- Introducing virtual care to patients and families
- Communicating effectively with remote clinicians
- Managing etiquette and presence in three-way care interactions
- Supporting language access and sensory needs through digital tools
Simulation environments were identified as a critical opportunity to normalize these workflows before nurses enter practice.
As Caregility CNO Susan Kirstiniak, DHA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, AHN-BC, noted, “Virtual care is no longer an exception in acute care; it’s increasingly the norm. Preparing nurses accordingly reduces onboarding friction and accelerates time-to-value for health systems investing in virtual platforms.”
Sustaining the Workforce Through Virtual Roles
The conversation also highlighted how Virtual Nursing can help retain experienced nurses who may be physically unable or unwilling to continue bedside roles. Several organizations shared examples of senior nurses transitioning into virtual positions, preserving institutional knowledge while continuing to mentor frontline staff. In one case, this approach helped avoid the loss of multiple full-time equivalents that would otherwise have retired.
“We had a nurse who had been ill, and they weren’t going to be able to utilize her in the health system because she required continuous portable oxygen. The human resources department remembered that we were doing this program and was able to point her in our direction. That was one of our big wins, and we love telling that story because it’s human and it makes you feel good about what you’re doing.”
– Kimberly Gault, MSN, RN, Business Systems Analyst, Lee Health
Read the Lee Health Virtual Nursing Case Study
For financial leaders, this represents a compelling workforce optimization strategy—one that protects prior investments in clinical expertise while supporting safer staffing models.
What Comes Next for Health Systems
Participants closed the session by identifying practical next steps, including:
- Embedding virtual care competencies into orientation and residency programs
- Treating virtual workflows as annual competencies, not one-time training
- Leveraging Virtual Nursing to support nights, weekends, and high-acuity units
- Gathering feedback from new nurses on confidence and preparedness
- Exploring formal virtual nurse certification pathways
Across roles and disciplines, leaders agreed on one thing: Virtual Nursing is no longer just a technology decision; it’s a workforce imperative.
By proactively preparing nurses for connected care models, health systems can improve clinical confidence, strengthen retention, and maximize the operational and financial returns of virtual care and AI investments.
Contact us to learn more about Caregility Virtual Nursing solutions.
