Nursing education in telehealth

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Informatics
• Telehealth Technologies

Background:

• Nurses globally utilize distance technologies for expert care delivery.
• Undergraduate nursing programs often lack comprehensive exposure to available telehealth technologies.
• Telehealth education requires alignment with diverse professional roles and innovation capacities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the necessity of integrating telehealth into undergraduate nursing curricula.
• To emphasize the need for education that prepares nurses for evolving telehealth roles.
• To address the gap in current nursing education regarding telehealth competencies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on current telehealth practices in nursing.
• Analysis of existing undergraduate nursing curricula for telehealth content.
• Identification of knowledge and skill gaps for different nursing roles in telehealth.

Main Results:

• Few undergraduate programs adequately prepare nursing students in telehealth.
• Registered nurses and advanced practice nurses require distinct telehealth skill sets.
• Nurse administrators need different competencies compared to direct care providers.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education must evolve to include comprehensive telehealth training.
• Curricula should differentiate telehealth knowledge based on nursing roles (e.g., direct care vs. administration).
• Enhanced telehealth education is crucial for professional development and innovation in nursing.