Cape Fear Valley Health employs more than 9,000 people. Officials said about 2% of staff at each hospital were impacted.
Brayan Alvarez Ortiz's next court appearance is Monday.
New details reveal the alleged assaults happened while the patients were in the recovery room after surgery at UNC Rex Hospital.
The nurse was taken into custody on Wednesday at his home in Guilford County.
Nursing has been excluded from the grouping of "professional" degrees under Trump's federal spending bill, signed into law July.
The university aims to nearly double the nursing program enrollment.