Exploring Readiness for Teleprecepting in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Training

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Telehealth offers a solution to many challenges in health care, including the shortage of psychiatric providers. Recently the need to limit patient and provider exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has escalated implementation of telehealth across the globe. As telehealth utilization expands, its role in nursing education and training requires systematic evaluation. Since publication of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty white paper supporting telehealth in health care delivery and nurse practitioner education, several studies have demonstrated successful didactic instruction and training in telehealth. However, a recent literature review found no studies evaluating the use of telehealth technology as a means of precepting in clinical training. METHODS: This small-scale qualitative study investigates the readiness of one behavioral health clinic to provide teleprecepting to psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students. Two preceptors and one student were interviewed using a peer-reviewed semistructured interview guide using video chat. Responses were reviewed, coded, and categorized into themes. RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed three categories for consideration in establishing teleprecepting. Clinical factors, logistics, and comparison with traditional precepting are discussed. Interviewees viewed teleprecepting as a viable method of increasing access to clinical training. CONCLUSIONS: This project supports teleprecepting as a feasible strategy for improving access to clinical training and as a technological resource that merits systematic evaluation. Practice guidelines are needed for teleprecepting of advanced practice registered nurse students, and both preceptors and students may benefit from training to support best practices prior to implementation.

Exploring the Effect of COVID-19 on Graduate Nursing Education

“…15 Tele-precepting is a viable solution to meeting clinical training requirements as it improves students’ access to learning opportunities. 16 Unfortunately, even with these innovations, clinical placements largely failed to meet pre-COVID expectations and many students experienced a delay in degree progression. In response, some institutions, like Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, designed an independent study that allows students to complete necessary clinical hours after the completion of the formal program.…”

“… 17 Along with the more widespread utilization of telehealth, an ongoing challenge remains the concept of tele-precepting and determining the most effective ways NP students can learn from and become proficient with this virtual health care setting. 16 …”

Teleprecepting: A timely approach to clinical education during COVID-19

“…Students may begin their NP training with remote clinical experiences before they have a chance to establish a baseline of competency in person. To differentiate this educational practice from telehealth, which typically describes clinically focused interactions between patients, providers, and staff, we encourage the term teleprecepting to describe the learning experience between preceptor and student occurring in parallel to clinical telehealth work ( Johnson et al, 2020 ).…”

“…We sought input from directors of clinical placement across multiple specialties and experts in educational technology in compiling the following guide with the goal of maintaining standards of training and the pipeline of new NPs during a national crisis. Teleprecepting may also serve to enhance telehealth training, provide clinical opportunities in rural and underserved areas, and connect students to previously limited experiences such as certain procedures or therapies within small specialties and interprofessional experiences ( Gibson et al, 2020 ; Johnson et al, 2020 ; Winship et al, 2020 ; Wynn, 2019 ).…”

Improving Access to Care in the Context of Opportunity

“…Deborah Johnson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, advances the use of telehealth to improve much needed access to mental health care for rural populations (Johnson, 2019). Additionally, her work with fellow APNA colleagues shows that the use of tele-precepting for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner students is a feasible strategy for improving access to clinical training since COVID has created considerable educational disruptions (Johnson et al, 2020). Similarly, Tarah Lewis, DNP, PMHNP-BC, and JoEllen Schimmels, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, APN-BC, CNE, FAAN, have developed and implemented a nurse-run tele-behavioral health clinic to expand access to care and tele-precepting opportunities (Lewis & Schimmels, 2020).…”