NURSING CAREER GUIDE
Telenursing: What Are Telehealth And Telenursing?
You have most likely done telenursing, even though you were probably not paid for it. Indeed
– because you are a nurse – family and friends have called you up for advice on some health
issue? You asked them about their signs and symptoms and then advised on the best course
of action.
Telenursing is when technology is used to provide nursing services remotely. There are many
different types of telenursing, and it has been around for longer than most people realize.
However, it has been brought into focus this year with the COVID-19 epidemic.
In this article, you will learn more about what telenursing is, where and by whom it is
practiced, what its benefits are, and also the pitfalls you need to avoid.
Growth of Telehealth Services
Telehealth is any service where healthcare is delivered remotely through the use of
technology. It improves the efficiency as well as access to health care.
In the early days of telenursing, registered nurses were employed in call centers at hospitals
or managed care organizations to triage patients over the telephone. After inquiring about
symptoms, the nurse would advise patients whether an urgent visit to the emergency room
was necessary, whether they could wait until the next day to consult a health care
practitioner, or how to manage the situation at home.
While this service is still provided in many centers, technology developments have expanded
telehealth nursing possibilities far beyond basic triage. Today voice calls can be replaced by
live video conferencing for consultation, diagnosis, and advice. Patient records, scans, and
other information can be maintained electronically and transmitted digitally for evaluation.
There is also an ever-growing number of digital tools, wearable devices, and mobile apps for
remote patient monitoring of, for example, blood pressure and blood glucose.
Telehealth has expanded dramatically during the COVID epidemic because of the need to
protect health care providers against infection and reduce patient visits to crowded health
care facilities.
, Earlier in the year, the US government changed Medicare rules to allow more providers to
receive Medicare payments for virtual consultations. It is estimated that the telehealth
market for 2020 will be around $175 billion, compared to $45 billion in 2019. With the
greater awareness of telehealth services and their benefits, both health care providers and
the public are likely to continue to make greater use of these services even after the
epidemic.
Types of Telenursing Services
There are many different types of nursing services can be provided remotely. The basics of
the nursing process – assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of outcomes – still
apply. The only difference is that the care is provided remotely, rather than in person.
The following are some of the services which lend themselves telenursing:
• Triage. As already mentioned, telenursing is used extensively at call centers for triage
to determine the severity of a patient’s condition and advise accordingly.
• Pre-operative. Pre-operatively the nurse can complete that part of the
patient assessment, which doesn’t require physical presence, including personal
details and a full medical history. Based on the information obtained, further
laboratory and other investigations can be ordered, and plans can be made in advance
to meet particular needs once the patient is admitted.
• Home care during illness or recovery. Patients who either do not require
hospitalization or are recovering at home after an illness or surgery can be monitored,
advised, and educated via telenursing. Through video calls, a nurse can, for example,
assess wound healing and teach wound care. A recent study found that telephone calls
with specially trained nurses significantly reduced the level of anxiety in patients with
COVID-19 who were recovering at home.
• Consultations for minor ailments. Many minor conditions for which patients routinely
visit doctor’s rooms could be successfully diagnosed and treated via remote
consultations, particularly with the availability of video conferencing. Examples are
common pediatric conditions, uncomplicated allergic skin reactions, and minor
injuries.
• Care for patients with chronic conditions. A significant growth area for telenursing is in
the care and monitoring of the aged with chronic conditions. Nurses can monitor
these patients’ well-being through regular video conferences as well as via digital
monitoring devices. The nurse will also pick up on their need for additional health
Telenursing: What Are Telehealth And Telenursing?
You have most likely done telenursing, even though you were probably not paid for it. Indeed
– because you are a nurse – family and friends have called you up for advice on some health
issue? You asked them about their signs and symptoms and then advised on the best course
of action.
Telenursing is when technology is used to provide nursing services remotely. There are many
different types of telenursing, and it has been around for longer than most people realize.
However, it has been brought into focus this year with the COVID-19 epidemic.
In this article, you will learn more about what telenursing is, where and by whom it is
practiced, what its benefits are, and also the pitfalls you need to avoid.
Growth of Telehealth Services
Telehealth is any service where healthcare is delivered remotely through the use of
technology. It improves the efficiency as well as access to health care.
In the early days of telenursing, registered nurses were employed in call centers at hospitals
or managed care organizations to triage patients over the telephone. After inquiring about
symptoms, the nurse would advise patients whether an urgent visit to the emergency room
was necessary, whether they could wait until the next day to consult a health care
practitioner, or how to manage the situation at home.
While this service is still provided in many centers, technology developments have expanded
telehealth nursing possibilities far beyond basic triage. Today voice calls can be replaced by
live video conferencing for consultation, diagnosis, and advice. Patient records, scans, and
other information can be maintained electronically and transmitted digitally for evaluation.
There is also an ever-growing number of digital tools, wearable devices, and mobile apps for
remote patient monitoring of, for example, blood pressure and blood glucose.
Telehealth has expanded dramatically during the COVID epidemic because of the need to
protect health care providers against infection and reduce patient visits to crowded health
care facilities.
, Earlier in the year, the US government changed Medicare rules to allow more providers to
receive Medicare payments for virtual consultations. It is estimated that the telehealth
market for 2020 will be around $175 billion, compared to $45 billion in 2019. With the
greater awareness of telehealth services and their benefits, both health care providers and
the public are likely to continue to make greater use of these services even after the
epidemic.
Types of Telenursing Services
There are many different types of nursing services can be provided remotely. The basics of
the nursing process – assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of outcomes – still
apply. The only difference is that the care is provided remotely, rather than in person.
The following are some of the services which lend themselves telenursing:
• Triage. As already mentioned, telenursing is used extensively at call centers for triage
to determine the severity of a patient’s condition and advise accordingly.
• Pre-operative. Pre-operatively the nurse can complete that part of the
patient assessment, which doesn’t require physical presence, including personal
details and a full medical history. Based on the information obtained, further
laboratory and other investigations can be ordered, and plans can be made in advance
to meet particular needs once the patient is admitted.
• Home care during illness or recovery. Patients who either do not require
hospitalization or are recovering at home after an illness or surgery can be monitored,
advised, and educated via telenursing. Through video calls, a nurse can, for example,
assess wound healing and teach wound care. A recent study found that telephone calls
with specially trained nurses significantly reduced the level of anxiety in patients with
COVID-19 who were recovering at home.
• Consultations for minor ailments. Many minor conditions for which patients routinely
visit doctor’s rooms could be successfully diagnosed and treated via remote
consultations, particularly with the availability of video conferencing. Examples are
common pediatric conditions, uncomplicated allergic skin reactions, and minor
injuries.
• Care for patients with chronic conditions. A significant growth area for telenursing is in
the care and monitoring of the aged with chronic conditions. Nurses can monitor
these patients’ well-being through regular video conferences as well as via digital
monitoring devices. The nurse will also pick up on their need for additional health
