Chief nursing officers say telehealth nurses and virtual nurses are their top hiring priorities for 2026, according to a Wolters Kluwer survey of 150 hospital and health system leaders reported by Becker’s. Telehealth nurses ranked first and virtual nurses second, reflecting growing demand for remote care delivery models that can support staffing flexibility and care redesign. The findings suggest hospitals will continue shifting recruiting, training, and technology investments toward digitally enabled nursing workflows as they look to expand capacity and address workforce pressures, while health systems adapt staffing plans, patient access strategies, and care coordination models.
