Telenursing in the United States

Abstract

Ask an average citizen what nurses do and where and how they do it. Shaped by the popular media, the answer is likely to describe nurses dressed in white uniforms scurrying around a central station in a hospital unit or emergency department, performing treatments or administering medications to their patients lying in bed in the surrounding rooms. While this scenario still exists in many traditional health-care settings, nurses are also practic­ing in a variety of less traditional arenas, one of which involves telehealth nursing, or telenursing.

Glossary

Telehealth –

A broader definition of remote health care that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education, and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth (American Telemedicine Association).

Telehealth nursing –

Used interchangeably with telenursing.

Telehealth technology –

Includes various forms of telecommunications technologies such as videoconferencing. Also includes any devices that can send data over a distance, including computers, videophones, remote monitoring devices, etc.

Telemedicine –

Use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients’ health status (American Telemedicine Association).

Telepresenters –

Telenurses working in the same room with patients who are participating in telehealth consultations with other health-care providers at a distance (American Telemedicine Association).