Getting a Picture.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Digital Health
• Telehealth

Background:

• Virtual care delivery is expanding, driven by technologies like remote patient monitoring (RPM).
• The nursing phenomenon of 'knowing the person' is crucial for relationships and clinical decisions but unstudied in virtual environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how nurses develop an understanding of patients through remote patient monitoring (RPM).
• To explicate the processes involved in nurses knowing the person within virtual care settings.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory approach.
• 33 nurse interviews and 5 observational experiences.
• Study conducted across 7 diverse healthcare settings.

Main Results:

• The core category 'Getting a Picture' emerged, describing nurses' efforts to visualize the patient.
• 'Getting a Picture' integrates seven processes, including 'Connecting With the Person' and 'Recording and Reflecting'.
• Nurses utilized RPM alongside telephone and electronic medical records to build this visualization.

Conclusions:

• 'Getting a Picture' is vital for delivering safe, person-centered care amidst fragmented digital technologies.
• Understanding how nurses 'know the person' in virtual settings is essential for effective telehealth nursing practice.