Although telehealth grew in popularity over the past several decades, the COVID-19 pandemic exponentially boosted interest in the benefits of technology-based care, spurring durable, long-term demand for nurses who can step into these roles. Telehealth nursing requires well-developed, targeted skills like communication, collaboration and facility with health information technology. Working nurses can advance their competencies in these and other high-demand areas through comprehensive coursework in the online Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from Northwest Missouri State University.
Plus, the benefits and potential of telehealth nursing extend far beyond improving nurses’ career opportunities or mitigating disruptive times. Telehealth nursing can expand healthcare access to millions of patients by removing critical barriers, such as lack of transportation, financial limitations, and regional shortages of healthcare facilities and providers. Moving forward, telehealth will be an increasingly significant part of the healthcare landscape.
What Is Telehealth?
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Telehealth is the use of communications technologies to provide health care from a distance. These technologies may include computers, cameras, videoconferencing, the internet, and satellite and wireless communications.”
One of the earliest forms of telehealth is the after-hours phone line, typically staffed by nurses, where patient calls are triaged accordingly. Given the wide range of technologies now available, coupled with improved internet access, current telehealth services include these common examples:
- Receiving phone, text or email messages as reminders about scheduled appointments or prompts to schedule annual screenings and preventive care
- Logging into a patient portal or electronic health record (EHR) to send a message to a healthcare provider or review test results
- Completing a “virtual visit” with a healthcare provider via phone or video chat
Remote patient monitoring is another form of telehealth. Patients’ key health metrics, such as blood pressure, glucose or heart rhythm, are often collected via a wearable device and automatically relayed to healthcare professionals. Patients can remain in their homes while providers monitor their health status closely. It is helpful for patients who are managing diabetes, a heart condition or cancer.
What Role Do Nurses Fulfill in Telehealth Care?
Nurses who provide telehealth services answer patient questions, triage health concerns, and give support and guidance to patients. They review incoming data collected from remote monitoring devices and contact patients to inform them of medication changes or other timely interventions. Telehealth nurses may work closely with patients who have recently had surgery or undergone treatment. For example, they may routinely check in with oncology patients following chemotherapy sessions to help them manage their symptoms at home and reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations.
Notably, telehealth nurses were integral to ensuring continuity of care during the pandemic. With many limitations lifted on types of healthcare that providers could offer virtually, healthcare organizations pivoted to conduct most appointments via telehealth.
While the rapid growth in demand for telehealth services was unpredictable, it prompted the industry to rethink patient care and streamline processes. Telehealth usage isn’t as ubiquitous as it was during peak-pandemic times, but it remains exponentially more commonly used and popular than in pre-pandemic years, according to Statista data.
What Skills or Characteristics Do Telehealth Nurses Need?
Telehealth nursing requires many of the same skills as in-person nursing, yet certain advanced competencies in areas like communication, collaboration and technology can be even more essential, as noted earlier.
Organizations like the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) offer dedicated telehealth nursing resources, including the Scope and Standards of Practice and up-to-date information guiding the field. Nurses need to have a high degree of training and access to these kinds of resources to maximize the telehealth care they can provide. Adaptability and a commitment to continuous process improvement are key attributes, too.
In addition to utilizing the information provided by AAACN, nurses can learn more about evolving healthcare delivery systems, such as telehealth, through coursework in an RN to BSN program. Online RN to BSN programs help nurses modernize their nursing skills while offering the flexibility and convenience working healthcare professionals need.
Staying Connected
Advances in technological capabilities and widespread internet access increased the availability of telehealth services, and demand rose during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since telehealth nursing provides a way for patients to ask questions, voice concerns and address issues before they become acute or chronic — all from the comfort of their homes — telehealth services will likely remain an essential component of modern healthcare.
Learn more about Northwest’s online RN to BSN program.
