Tele-U to Tele-ICU: Telehealth Nursing Education

The use of telehealth technology in various health care settings continues to expand. Such technology allows intensive care units to monitor patients living in remote locations and to intervene early when a patient's condition declines or a critical event occurs. The use of telehealth can also support nurses and help meet staffing challenges, which have increased in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, however, there are no formal requirements for telehealth education in nursing education or for telehealth orientation in nursing practice.

To develop a telehealth curriculum based on telehealth competencies that would be broad enough to encompass all educational levels of nursing students and to support the current nursing workforce.

A telehealth curriculum was designed that included an overview of telehealth, camera considerations, equipment, troubleshooting, reimbursement, legislation, and quality measures. These topics were then organized and developed into 6 online interactive video modules and simulation experiences. The curriculum topics pertinent to the tele-intensive care unit are discussed in this article.

Completion of the telehealth curriculum or a formal telehealth orientation session may provide nurses with an understanding of the principles of telehealth and the skills needed to provide high-quality patient care using telehealth best practices. As the use of telehealth continues to expand, nursing education and practice should work together to address the needs of the nursing workforce and staffing challenges, specifically in the intensive care unit setting.