Exploring the Challenges and Barriers to Telenursing in the Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

This study aims to examine and analyse the barriers encountered in the implementation of telenursing within hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted.

Recruited 356 nurses via convenience sampling who completed an online questionnaire assessing the barriers to telenursing practice. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data related to demographic variables, perceptions and barriers towards telenursing.

The majority of nurses were male (n = 209, 58.7%). In terms of age distribution, 37.4% (n = 133) were aged 26-30 years, and 62.6% held a bachelor's degree. Nurses expressed agreement, ranging from 83.1% (n = 296) to 87.1% (n = 310), that telenursing would improve healthcare services, reduce costs and enhance professional development. Furthermore, the majority of participants identified a lack of financial support (strongly agreed, n = 260, 73.0%) as the primary barrier to telenursing, whereas the least reported barrier pertained to language and cultural issues. The association between demographic variables, namely age, education and gender, and the identified barriers was not statistically significant following Bonferroni adjustment.

This study identified key barriers to telenursing implementation in Riyadh, including limited reimbursement, lack of collaboration among healthcare providers and resistance to technology adoption. Although nurses recognize the benefits of telenursing, addressing these barriers through policy interventions, enhanced training and improved infrastructure may support the integration of telenursing services into the Saudi healthcare system, aligning with Vision 2030 objectives.

Findings suggest that nursing leaders and policymakers should prioritize establishing clear reimbursement mechanisms for telenursing, fostering interprofessional communication frameworks and integrating telenursing competencies into nursing curricula to enhance workforce readiness for digital health delivery.

This study addresses the gap in nursing-specific telenursing barriers in Saudi Arabia. The main findings indicate that systemic rather than demographic factors predominate, suggesting that broad organizational and policy-level interventions are warranted. The research will impact nurse managers, educators and health policymakers involved in telehealth expansion under Saudi Vision 2030.

This study adheres to the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for cross-sectional studies.

No contribution from patient or public; this study focuses on nurses working in a health care setting.