Telehealth: Preparing Advanced Practice Nurses to Address Healthcare Needs in Rural and Underserved Populations

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Healthcare is being confronted with questions on how to deliver quality, affordable, and timely care to patients, especially those in rural areas, in systems already burdened by the lack of providers. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) have been challenged to lead this movement in providing care to these populations through the use of technologies, specifically telehealth. Unfortunately, APRNs have limited exposure to telehealth during their educational experience, thereby limiting their understanding and comfort with telehealth. To address this problem, a telehealth program was developed at a large university that prepares Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) APRN students. The telehealth program, embedded into the DNP curriculum, consisted of a simulation workshop, practice immersion, and written project. This program was well received by students, making them aware of the benefits and barriers to the implementation of telehealth as a care delivery modality. Telehealth was embraced as students implemented the program in their own practices.</jats:p>

Evaluating a simulation-based telecare training program for home healthcare professionals: A trainee perspective

“…Trainees were pleased to find that it was possible to provide satisfac-tory care and support at a distance from the patient. Reierson, Solli and Bjørk [2] as well as Rutledge and colleagues [12] have noted similar findings regarding positive perceptions of the value of telecare after participation in simulation-based training. Furthermore, based on their experiences with the simulations, trainees argued that virtual visits had the potential to improve the quality of current services for home healthcare patients.…”

“…This is somewhat opposite of previous research findings, where telecare students reported feeling as close to the patient during the simulated telecare encounter as they did during a traditional face-to-face encounter. [12] One explanation for this discrepancy in findings could be the topics of the scenarios enacted and the care tasks concerned within each respective scenario case. In future, simulation-based telecare training initiatives should implement a more diverse range of scenario cases to enable assessment of whether and how particular simulation scenarios may influence trainees' impressions of the telecare experience.…”

“…[9] There is some indication, though, that simulationbased training may be useful in preparation for telecare prac-tice, particularly in undergraduate nursing education. [2,[10][11][12][13] The potentials in using simulation for vocational telecare training for home healthcare professionals have remained largely unexplored, [14] however, despite recognition of its utility both in preparation for changing work processes [15] and the introduction of new technologies in healthcare organizations. [16] Simulation-based training is increasingly being used to teach a range of knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to healthcare provision in community care environments, including home healthcare settings.…”

“…[29] There have however been very few reports of simulation-based telecare training initiatives aimed at qualified healthcare professionals. [30] We have found one such study, by Rutledge and colleagues, [12] which notes positive outcomes in using standardized patient simulations to introduce registered nurses to remote nursing care via audiovisual technology. In addition, a handful of studies have found simulation to be a useful approach to telecare training aimed at pre-registration nursing students.…”

The impact of an educational intervention on home support workers' ability to detect early pressure ulcer damage

“…This is particularly critical when working in rural or remote areas (Rutledge et al, 2014). One major obstacle to this however is the availability of broadband in the country.…”