Nurses: Extending Care Through Telehealth

Nurses have an immense impact on the growth and scope of Telehealth as they embrace diverse roles. TeleNursing introduces transformational change which positively impacts both clients and providers, increasing access to care and reducing the time and costs associated with traveling for health care. Integration of clinical support and remote diagnostic tools inspire new uses of Telehealth, thus enabling care previously only possible in person to be delivered virtually. Nurses currently leverage Telehealth to deliver care and education, monitor clients remotely and support medical consultations. Over 90% of Island Health nurses surveyed recommend Telehealth as a care modality to clients and 100% support Telehealth as a means to increase care to vulnerable communities. Programs wish to increase uptake of TeleNursing but face numerous challenges regarding funding, resourcing, scheduling and geographical ownership. TeleNursing goes beyond clinical support and has the potential to exponentially expand Telehealth services, normalizing Telehealth as a care modality. Nurses look to Telehealth to improve their ability to partner with clients over distance, providing surgical care, maternal/pediatric care and group education.