Virtual care, tech-enabled roles reshape nursing as leaders diverge on care redesign priorities

Editor's Note

Virtual models and technology-driven roles are gaining ground, but alignment across nursing leadership tiers remains a critical challenge. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA) Center for Health Innovation’s summary of the March 2025 “Nursing Leadership Insight Study” done by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, virtual care—including telehealth, virtual nursing, and remote monitoring—emerged as the top strategic focus for nurse leaders (32%). This trend reflects the expanding role of technology in clinical care.

Other top priorities include interdisciplinary collaboration (30%), upskilling nurse leaders (21%), and advancing team-based care models (21%). The article does note significant divergence in priorities between different nursing leadership roles. Nurse managers placed strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and staff well-being tools, while chief nursing officers and chief nursing executives prioritized leadership development and policy advocacy. Directors reported moderate alignment with both groups, suggesting a disconnect that may impede unified care redesign efforts. The report stresses the importance of aligning strategies across leadership levels to ensure cohesive execution.

On workforce deployment, the article reports that nurse leaders rated “listening and responding to staff feedback” as the most effective staffing strategy (average rating 3.51 out of 5), with a median of 4—higher than any other tactic. Partnerships with nursing schools, providing time off, increasing recognition, and supporting shared governance also scored well. While pay and scheduling flexibility remain relevant, relational strategies were perceived as more effective in addressing workforce well-being and retention.

AHA cited another report, the Wolters Kluwer “FutureCare Nursing 2025,” that identified five top models hospitals plan to implement: home health nursing (71%), internal float pools (68%), virtual nursing (66%), telehealth nursing (66%), and multidisciplinary care (61%). Success metrics for these implementations include reduced medical errors (51%), optimized staffing (50%), and improved clinical outcomes (48%).

To support these shifts, health systems are preparing to hire for emerging nursing roles. As outlined in the Wolters Kluwer study, in-demand positions include nurse informaticists (52%), telehealth nurses (50%), care coordinators (50%), and educators in telehealth and virtual care (47%). Other growing roles include float pool nurses, home health coordinators, and nurse case managers.

As virtual care becomes mainstream, nurses at all levels must adapt to tech-forward roles and care models—while leadership must close strategic gaps to guide these transformations effectively.