Not a Nice-to-Have: Why Virtual Nursing is a Healthcare Imperative

It’s not a nice-to-have. Learn why virtual nursing is an imperative in our current healthcare environment.

The healthcare workforce is in crisis.

Bedside nurses are increasingly overwhelmed. Burnout among nurses and care workers is accelerating. A 2025 state of nursing study by Cross Country Healthcare shows that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout. A similar survey from 2020 reports comparable numbers, with 62% of nurses experiencing burnout.

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated long-standing staffing challenges that persist to this day. An American Nurses Foundation survey from 2022 found that 89% of organizations that responded were experiencing a staffing shortage, with over half reporting that being a serious problem. Younger nurses felt the negative impacts of the pandemic especially hard, with nearly half of those younger than 25 and those between 25 and 34 considering themselves “as being not or not at all emotionally healthy,” compared to only 19% of nurses over the age of 55.

Burnout, stress, and ongoing Covid-19 effects cause other issues. Hospitals are struggling to retain experienced nurses, as evidenced by a 19.5% drop in median nursing tenure in a single year.

Many of these nursing staffing challenges aren’t new, either: A 2018 article calls out an “epidemic” related to bedside nursing, specifically.

Overall, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a 10% shortfall of RNs in 2027 — roughly 300,000 nurses total.

 

Understaffing hurts health systems, and their patients

The impacts of nursing shortages are well documented.

Research shows that nurse understaffing is linked to increased in-hospital mortality, especially for complex patients. One systematic review also points to an inverse correlation relationship between rationing of nursing care and patient safety.

Limited experience among nurses only intensifies these risks, contributing to an increased risk of adverse events. A growing lack of nursing faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors and budget constraints, exacerbates nursing experience issues.

Patient safety is no longer just a quality metric, it is a workforce issue — one exacerbated by broader education-related trends.

 

Virtual nursing is a response to staffing pains 

Virtual nursing has become a common practice at health systems across the country. While still a relatively new program and approach to patient care, health system leaders have said virtual nursing has shown clear positive effects.

One study highlights a successful implementation of a Virtual Nurse Program, or VNP, that leveraged existing telehealth infrastructure.

In the case, virtual nurses were assigned to handle nursing tasks remotely. Implementation of the VNP followed three guiding principles.

• VNP was budget neutral, utilizing vacant full-time employee positions to fill new virtual nursing positions.

• VNP utilized existing technology, including the repurposing of wireless mobile carts and establish TeleICU monitoring.
• Initial nursing tasks of the VN focused on admissions and discharges only.

The results of this study were compelling.

• Decreased staff turnover: Three out of the five hospital sites included in the study decreased turnover.

• Fewer vacancies: Four out of the five hospital sites decreased vacancy rates.

• Improved nurse satisfaction: Post-pilot survey indicated positive perceptions of the program.
• Positive patient experience: Top-box performance, or how often patients selected the most positive response, improved from 13.4 to 23 percentage points in nursing communication, discharge, and likelihood to recommend.

While only one study, additional research and feedback points to similar outcomes across systems. For instance, another benefit, adjacent to direct patient care, is the ability for virtual nurses to act as educational resources for newer bedside nurses, while also serving as safety nets for new nurses as they learn more about the field.

It’s critical to note, though: Virtual nurses are not a replacement for bedside nurses.

Rather, virtual nurses act as strategic allies to bedside nurses, enabling task reallocation so that bedside RNs can work at the top of their license.

This improves both efficiency and morale. Data proves this model reduces burnout and supports better clinical outcomes.

 

Sickbay is the technology engine behind virtual nursing

When looking to implement a virtual nursing program, access and availability of data is key.

No matter how expansive your VNP, data sits at the core. It enables efficient and effective communication between bedside nurses and virtual nurses. It supports prospective and retrospective analytics. It unlocks near real time monitoring.

Sickbay provides the scalable, secure data infrastructure required for effective virtual nursing.

1. Clinical Data Streaming: Persistent bedside patient data is collected and presented in near real time, ensuring nursing teams are kept up-to-date on patient conditions, second-by-second.
2. Seamless Medical Device Integration: Sickbay integrates directly with a wide variety of bedside devices, centralizing patient data in a way that enables advanced analytics and direct collaboration.
3. Remote Access to Patient Information: Features like configurable camera integration and scalable web-based design allow patients to be viewed across multiple interfaces on a single platform, directly supporting remote care and facilitating collaboration between bedside staff and virtual nurses

This combination of qualities empowers virtual nurses to deliver safe, timely care. Persistent bedside patient data streaming keeps nursing teams up-to-date, second-by-second. Integration with a multiple of bedside monitoring devices is handled seamlessly, ensuring nothing gets missed. And remote access to patient information allows VNPs to be implemented in the most effective, flexible ways.

Simply put, Sickbay is the tool required to implement virtual nursing programs in the most effective way possible.

 

Why now is the time to implement virtual nursing with Sickbay

In the current healthcare environment of rampant staffing challenges, fragmented fixes aren’t enough. Healthcare systems must act boldly, implementing solutions that touch all facets of patient care while remaining flexible enough to adapt to an every-changing technological environment.

Virtual nursing is a proven, cost-effective solution that delivers measurable results.

Contact our team to schedule a demo and learn how Sickbay can be the tool that unlocks your health system’s virtual nursing operations.