Telenursing: A step for care management in disaster and emergencies

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Unusual impacts of disasters on normal living conditions pose challenges to the health system. Nurses who take care of disaster victims may face situations that make decision-making difficult; hereon, the use of new technologies can be a useful solution. The study aimed to identify the telenursing care during incidents and disasters. METHODS: The study was conducted at a medical science university in Iran from 2018 to 2019. This was a semi-structured interview-based qualitative study using content analysis. Eighteen nurses, nursing teachers, and emergency medical technicians were included in the study. Data analysis was performed using inductive content analysis and coding with MAXQDA (2010) software. The Lincoln and Guba (1985) trustworthiness criteria were used for the reliability and validity of the data. RESULTS: Telenursing in critical and supportive care was the main theme identified from data analysis. This theme included six main categories: (1) management of trauma, (2) technical skills, (3) care and decision-making in stressful situations, (4) management of patients with special needs, (5) life-saving intervention, and (6) psychological and emotional supports. CONCLUSIONS: Telenursing in disasters is the turning point of the care management of victims. In order to achieve this goal, nurses should acquire the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Telenursing

“…Of the remaining 14 articles, two articles were removed because of a lack of clarity surrounding each article's proposed definitions 9,24 . This process resulted in 12 articles of collected research 6,10,13–22 …”

“…This resulted in 15 articles defining telenursing, telecare, telehealth, and virtual nursing. 6,9,10,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The literature search was then narrowed to the most recent 5 years, which excluded one article from 2011. 23 However, one article from 2008 was retained as it was the only definition to refer to the nursing scope of practice, which was considered a distinguishing feature.…”

“…Telenursing is a subcategory of telehealth. 17 The existing definitions of telenursing vary in the literature, 3,4,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][20][21][22] and commonly include telecommunications technology and an aspect of nursing care. The level of detail surrounding the nursing care aspect varied significantly.…”

“…The use of "at a distance" was similar to many definitions using wording such as "remote," 10,14,26 "across geography," 19 and "longdistance." 13,16,22 This was an important aspect to include as the root of the word, tele, is from the Greek language meaning "far off." 27 The use of "information and communications technology" clarifies other forms of technology-based communication used in existing definitions.…”

Leading and Accelerating Change

“…One crucial area for continued change leadership and change acceleration continues to be the use of telehealth, and specifically telenursing, as an extension or alternative to future emergency nursing services and emergency nursing work redesign. 10 , 11 Wendt et al 12 describe the patient outcomes associated with awake proning for non-intubated emergency department patients. This project is the subject of two invited commentaries to clarify the potential of occupational back injury and the proning procedure for the clinical reader.…”