Rutgers School of Nursing is adding AI-enabled virtual nursing training to its undergraduate program through a partnership with Caregility, aiming to prepare students for the workflows now used in connected patient rooms, tele-intensive care units and hospital-at-home programs. The effort reflects a broader shift in U.S. health systems, where virtual care is moving from pilot projects into day-to-day operations as hospitals look to extend nursing capacity and adapt to changing patient needs.
Why schools are moving now
Virtual nursing is not new, but its role is expanding. Angela Starkweather, dean and professor at Rutgers School of Nursing, said virtual nursing has been in use for roughly 30 years, but recent technology advances and staffing pressures have accelerated adoption across hospitals.
That shift is happening against a backdrop of workforce strain. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing said U.S. nursing schools turned away 65,766 qualified applicants in 2023, citing faculty shortages, limited clinical placements and budget constraints. At the same time, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects registered nursing employment will grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
How the training changes nursing education
Under the Rutgers-Caregility partnership, students will learn how to support patients remotely, communicate through digital platforms and work alongside bedside teams in hybrid care models. The curriculum is designed to reflect how hospitals are using virtual nursing to monitor patients, answer routine questions, coordinate discharge planning and support bedside staff.
Educators say the goal is not to replace in-person care. Instead, they are trying to give graduates experience with tools they are likely to encounter in modern hospitals, including AI-assisted workflows that can help nurses prioritize tasks and document care more efficiently.
What hospitals are trying to solve
Health systems have been testing virtual nursing to improve staffing flexibility and reduce pressure on bedside teams. Tele-ICU programs use remote clinicians to watch over critically ill patients, while hospital-at-home models rely on technology to deliver care outside traditional inpatient units.
For patients, these programs can mean faster responses to common needs and more continuous oversight. For hospitals, they can help broaden access to nursing expertise, especially in units facing persistent vacancy and turnover challenges.
What to watch next
Rutgers is among the first nursing schools to formally build AI-enabled virtual nursing into undergraduate training, and other programs will be watching the results closely. The next test will be whether graduates enter the workforce more prepared for digital care teams, and whether similar partnerships spread as hospitals continue to invest in connected rooms and remote care models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rutgers training students to replace bedside nurses with virtual nursing tools?
No. The program is meant to complement, not replace, in-person nursing. Students will learn how virtual nurses support bedside teams by handling routine questions, discharge coordination and remote monitoring, while direct hands-on care remains with bedside staff. The goal is to prepare graduates for hybrid care models that are becoming more common in hospitals.
What kinds of skills will students learn in this AI-enabled virtual nursing training?
Students will be trained to communicate with patients through digital platforms, coordinate with bedside teams and support care from a distance. They will also learn how AI-assisted workflows can help prioritize tasks and streamline documentation. These are practical skills for connected patient rooms, tele-ICU settings and hospital-at-home programs.
Why is virtual nursing becoming more important now if it has existed for decades?
Virtual nursing has been around for years, but recent technology advances and staffing pressures have made it far more useful. Hospitals are under strain from vacancy and turnover, while demand for nurses continues to rise. That combination has pushed health systems to use remote care tools more broadly in everyday operations, not just pilot projects.
How can virtual nursing help bedside staff without lowering the quality of care?
Virtual nursing is designed to extend nursing capacity, not cut corners. Remote clinicians can monitor patients, answer routine questions and help with discharge planning, which can reduce interruptions for bedside nurses. This can free up time for more complex hands-on tasks while maintaining continuous oversight and faster responses to common patient needs.
What is the connection between virtual nursing, tele-ICU and hospital-at-home models?
They are all parts of the same shift toward connected care. Tele-ICU uses remote clinicians to monitor critically ill patients, while hospital-at-home programs deliver care outside traditional inpatient units with technology support. Virtual nursing training prepares students for these overlapping workflows, where digital communication and remote oversight are increasingly part of daily care.