Elevating Virtual Nursing Through Smarter Nurse Call Integration
Virtual nursing is rapidly transforming care delivery, offering hospitals a scalable way to address staffing shortages, improve patient outcomes, and streamline workflows. In fact, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) 2025 Nursing Leadership Insight Study indicates that utilization of virtual care is the #1 advancement organizations will continue to use for the redesign of healthcare.That is up from the #4 ranking just one year ago.[1] But to truly unlock its potential, virtual care must be supported by infrastructure and processes that enable seamless communication, contextual awareness, and efficient task management. That’s where modern nurse call systems come in.
Traditionally, nurse call systems have served as basic alert mechanisms—patients press a button, and a nurse responds. Today, these systems are evolving into intelligent platforms that integrate with broader hospital technologies, including virtual nursing solutions. By doing so, they become powerful enablers of hybrid care models that blend in-person and remote nursing support.
One of the most impactful ways to elevate virtual nursing is by reimagining the patient’s bedside experience. For example, replacing a standard pillow speaker with one configured for virtual nursing allows patients to connect with remote nurses at the touch of a button. This simple upgrade not only enhances patient access to care but also frees up bedside nurses to focus on direct clinical tasks rather than administrative duties.
Beyond the bedside, nurse call systems can extend virtual nursing capabilities across the care continuum. When integrated with virtual platforms, these systems support real-time collaboration, contextual alerting, and intelligent routing. A patient alarm can trigger a dome light, notify a mobile device, or prompt a virtual nurse to triage personnel, based on urgency and relevance. This kind of “wayfinding” and contextual decision-making improves response times and ensures that the right caregiver is engaged at the right moment.
Modern nurse call platforms also support standards-based integration with medical devices and virtual care tools, enabling hospitals to enhance interoperability with relevant and actionable data to maximize the effectiveness of their virtual nursing programs without overhauling existing infrastructure [2]. This flexibility is crucial for health systems at different stages of digital transformation. Whether launching a pilot program or expanding an enterprise-wide initiative, hospitals can tailor and scale their approach to meet operational and clinical goals.
In community hospital settings, virtual nursing has proven especially valuable in supporting less experienced staff and maintaining high standards of care [3]. Nurse call systems that align with clinical workflows help reduce friction, allowing nurses to operate at the top of their license. Features like real-time alert configuration, mobile task management, and automated documentation streamline communication and reduce cognitive load.
As virtual nursing continues to evolve, so too must the systems that support it. The integration of nurse call platforms with virtual care centers creates a closed-loop environment where alerts, tasks, and communications are intelligently managed. This not only improves patient safety and satisfaction but also enhances staff efficiency and retention.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a care environment where technology complements human expertise. By leveraging smart nurse call systems, hospitals can extend the reach of virtual nurses, optimize workflows, and deliver more responsive, personalized care. Advisory Board conducted a survey with health system strategists to determine priorities of relevance for technology and operations. Their findings suggest strategies that focus on clinical operations efficiency and technologies to mitigate administrative burden.[4] It’s not just about adding new tools—it’s about making existing ones work better together.
Whether you're just beginning your virtual nursing journey or looking to expand, consider how your nurse call infrastructure can support and scale your efforts. The future of nursing is hybrid, and the right technology foundation can make all the difference.
References
- AONL. “2025 Nursing Leadership Insight Study.” March 2025. https://www.aonl.org/resources/nursing-leadership-survey. Accessed on July 30, 2025.
- TRL Systems. “Smart Nurse Call Systems: Innovation Driving Healthcare Efficiency.” https://www.trlsystems.com/news/2025/7/3/smart-nurse-call-systems-innovation-driving-healthcare-efficiency. Accessed July 29, 2025.
- Sagastume, Ruth, MSN, RN, CPHQ and Peterson, Jessica, PhD, RN. “The Virtual Nurse Program in a Community Hospital Setting.” The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/table-of-contents/volume-28-2023/number-2-may-2023/the-virtual-nurse-program-in-a-community-hospital-setting/
- Advisory Board. “Survey Insights: 6 Priorities for Health System Strategists in 2024.” January 2024. Accessed July 25, 2025.