The Impact of Telehealth on Nursing

Opportunities, Challenges, and Potential Future Trends

The digital age has brought us countless innovations in communication, and telehealth nursing ranks among the most exciting. Remotely connecting patients with nurses, doctors, and other care providers—regardless of their location—has the potential to redefine healthcare as we know it.

While telehealth nursing has slowly gained in popularity over the years, its use skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers needed to see a huge volume of patients while minimizing in-person contact, and telehealth was a perfect solution.

One study from the National Institute of Health showed that while 74% of surveyed nurses hadn’t used telehealth before the pandemic, half used telehealth at least once daily during the pandemic. And while the overall demand for care isn’t as overwhelmingly urgent as it was at the height of COVID-19, telehealth is here to stay.

Let’s take a closer look at how telehealth is changing nursing—including some of the problems it can solve, the challenges that come with it, and how nurses and nursing students can stay up to date on a fast-evolving aspect of healthcare.

Still, researching whether nursing is the right career choice for you? Check out our in-depth guide on how to become a registered nurse, or our list of the 16 highest-paid nursing jobs.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth describes the use of digital technologies to deliver medical care remotely. While most people think of a video conference call with a healthcare provider, telehealth is quickly expanding to include more technologies like wearable monitors and “smart” home care devices.

Though telehealth has multiple benefits, its most important aspect is enabling greater access to care. Whether somebody has trouble traveling to a clinic, there are few facilities nearby, or they need to see a specialist who isn’t available locally, telehealth can help all kinds of people receive much-needed medical care.

Opportunities Telehealth Presents for Nurses

Telehealth presents numerous opportunities for nurses to help more people in more places—particularly rural or remote places with fewer facilities and healthcare providers. Telehealth can be useful for triaging patients seeking care, monitoring patients who have already been admitted, or providing remote care to manage chronic conditions without requiring patients to leave their homes.

Because telehealth enables a more flexible work environment, it can also improve job satisfaction and work/life balance, both of which are major factors in avoiding burnout for nurses. While most nurses who use telehealth also provide face-to-face care, a mix of both can offer some much-needed variety and help nurses treat more patients more efficiently.

Telehealth also creates opportunities to improve patient engagement and education. When patients can check in with their nurses and other providers more easily, they’re able to ask questions or raise concerns, and receive qualified medical advice as a result. It’s also excellent for things like follow-up visits or long-term monitoring of a patient’s condition, since it’s often more convenient for both the patient and their care team to meet remotely.

Challenges Faced by Nurses in Telehealth

Despite the many advantages of telehealth and its potential to revolutionize nursing, there are still some challenges associated with it. As with any new technology, adoption can be difficult for both patients and healthcare providers who are accustomed to doing things a certain way. User-friendly platforms, effective training programs, and support for less tech-savvy users can all help ease the transition to telehealth.

Like all technologies that deal with sensitive user data, there are also numerous ethical, legal, and regulatory concerns associated with providing medical care remotely. Healthcare facilities and their employees must be vigilant about protecting patient data and adhering to both federal and state laws. Just as importantly, legislators and policymakers must be forward-thinking when considering telehealth’s emergence in the healthcare landscape.

As telehealth continues to increase in popularity, it will also be important to consider its impact on the patient-provider relationship. While virtual meetings are convenient for all parties involved, they also create obstacles with nonverbal communication and clues—both of which nurses use to provide empathetic and effective care. Striking a balance between hands-on care and accessibility will be essential as telehealth becomes more commonplace.

The Role of Nursing Education in Preparing Nurses for Telehealth

Nursing school curricula are constantly evolving to reflect the latest advancements in medicine, and telehealth training is becoming increasingly commonplace in pre-licensure programs. Nursing students in many locations are learning about telehealth best practices, relevant laws and regulations, and how to build patient relationships through digital platforms.

For nurses already in the field, seeking out telehealth training is valuable in preparing for the future of the profession. Many current nurses completed their training before telehealth became practical, so professional development opportunities that prioritize emerging technologies can help seasoned nurses make the most of their experience.

Future Trends in Telehealth and Nursing

Widespread adoption of telehealth is likely to coincide with the development of other medical technologies. AI platforms have shown great promise in analyzing huge amounts of patient data to spot patterns and predict potential outcomes, which has the potential to support nurses’ decision-making as they deliver care via telehealth.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies could have some fascinating implications for telehealth nurses, as they could make it possible to be in the same room as their patients from across great distances. VR and AR also have some exciting possibilities for patient engagement and monitoring, particularly when combined with wearable devices that can track movement and vital signs.

As telehealth and other medical technologies expand in capability and popularity, there will almost certainly be new regulatory changes that impact nurses’ work conditions and scope of practice. It’s important for nurses to stay up to date with the latest developments and to advocate for policies that encourage safe and effective patient care and healthy work environments.

Telehealth is also likely to lead to an increase in hybrid nursing roles that combine both virtual and in-person care. The potential to treat one patient face-to-face and then the next patient through a digital interface could completely change our healthcare system—and enable better patient outcomes as well as more efficient use of nurses’ time.

Train for the Future of Nursing at Provo College

Telehealth in nursing shows every sign of continued growth, and anyone entering (or currently in) the nursing profession should be prepared to embrace it as a critical part of modern patient care.

By seeking out telehealth training and staying up to date on emerging technologies and policies, nurses can become better advocates for their patients as well as their own professional success. And for students entering nursing school, choosing a nursing program with an up-to-date curriculum that covers topics like telehealth is a great place to start.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Provo College is designed to help future nurses build a solid foundation and emerge career-ready, with the skills and adaptability to handle whatever comes their way. You’ll have access to industry-leading training tools and learn from experienced instructors who love to support their students. And with an accelerated program that enables earning your degree in 3 years or less, your nursing career could be just around the corner.

Wondering what you’ll need to know before your first day of classes? Check out our handy guide on how to prepare for nursing school.