Health care organizations across the U.S. are under tremendous pressure as the growing need for nurses outpaces a shrinking workforce. There have been unprecedented challenges from the large, aging baby boomer population. Nurses are also getting older, with a median age of 52 — 4.7 million are projected to retire by 2030.

Health care systems like Saint Luke’s are increasingly turning to virtual nursing to address the shortage. Virtual nurses work in remote centers with videoconferencing technology to observe and answer questions from patients, speak with family members and ease the burden on bedside nurses by performing tasks that don’t require physical proximity, such as conducting admissions interviews and providing discharge instructions.

Health Tech talked to Jennifer Ball, director of virtual care at Saint Luke's Health System, about how virtual nursing programs help hospitals overcome staffing shortages and support onsite nurses in providing patient care.

Read the full Health Tech article: The Rise of the Virtual Nurse