TELENURSING 6
Author’s name
: Is it in my future?
Abstract.
Healthcare provision has been on the forefront in embracing thecontinuously developing technology. In nursing, there is apossibility of providing care to patients even when the nurse is notphysically available. This objective is achievedthrough telenursing (Marcin, Shaikh, &Steinhorn, 2015). In this paper, the primaryconcern is put on the disadvantages and advantages of telenursing tothe client, and the ethical and legal principles relating to thenurse practitioner. Review of available literature, directobservation and interviews shall be the principal methods used forobtaining data. Through interviewing the nurses who practicetelenursing and literature review, it was established that upholdingthe legal and ethical principles of telenursing can make it bethe best mode of providing care to patients with chronic conditionssuch as diabetes and hypertension. The effectiveness of telenursingto a nurse is optimal because they can serve many patients indifferent locations within a very short time.
is the utilization of information technology andtelecommunication systems in the delivery of nursing care to clientswhen there is a significant distance between them and the nurse. Dueto the continued improvement in technology, the practice oftelenursing has grown in different parts of the world. Studies provethat many people have accepted telenursing since the public, andprivate health care providers have been on the forefrontin providing telenursing services to many clients (Moss,2014). The U.S.A has seen an increased use of electronicassessment and monitoring tools for patients with chronic conditions.Nonetheless, telenursing comes with challenges especially in theexpertise needed to provide distant care to patients. It has manyareas of interaction with non-medical and medical practices such astelemonitoring, telediagnosis, and teleconsultations. Essentialskills like monitoring and communication have to be well understoodby the practicing telenurse. Patients and telenurses benefit fromtelenursing because hospitalization is reducedand there is increased coverage of wider areas during provision ofcare. In addition to that, ethical and legal considerations are putforward to ensure adherence. For any fieldthat deals directly with human life, stringent guidelines areestablished to ensure the safety ofpatients (Habda &Czar, 2013).
Aim of the paper
The objective of this research is to identify the advantages anddisadvantages of telenursing to the patients and the nurse. It alsoaims at finding the legal and ethical principles that areassociated with telenursing, and how they apply to nursing asa whole field. Again, the opinion of practicing telenurses shall beobtained to see the extent to which this areahas spread throughout the United States. Based on the findings, Iwill be able to make a decision of whether to practice telenursing inthe future or not.
Discussion
The efficiency and weaknesses that are associatedwith telenursing can be identified in thereview of the literature.
Advantages
There are various benefits that telenursing has to the nurse and thepatients. The benefits to the patient include adequate access toprompt care and information. Since the nurse has a direct link to theclient through the use of technology such as telephones and videoconferencing, the client gets clear instructions on prescription,self-care, and necessary adjustments. mostly utilizesprimary nursing, and in the end, the patient receivesoptimal care (Brunett,et al., 2015). The information that a client has on his/ herhealth is improved with telenursing. Thereare many opportunities, which arise enabling the patients to learnmuch about different diseases and their management. Also, patientsare involved in making decisions on the necessary nursinginterventions. Patient empowerment also increases, for instance, aperson who is dealing with a chronic condition like diabetes orrecovering from a surgical operation will always be encouraged to beresponsible for promoting self-care becausehe/she knows that there is a help just aphone call away (Moss, 2014). Importantly,telenursing is a form of savings for the patient. There is no need oftraveling to hospitals for treatment. This results in lessexpenditure thus saving more money and time (Moss,2014). Telenurses can manage their time well because they mayopt for flexible time and perform some other tasks when the patientload is low. Telenurses do not waste much time on traveling.In most cases, nurses use more time when travellingthan giving a face to face patient care,especially those who work in rural areas (Marcin,Shaikh, & Steinhorn, 2015). Nurses are scarce consideringa large number of patients. Therefore,telenursing is one of the strategies used to battle the scarcity.Telenurses can make good use of their resources when well planned.Many telenurses confirm that they are comfortable because of theeducational and rewarding nature of telenursing.
Disadvantages
There are no significant difficultiesof telenursing. The main ones are ethical, legal, and administrativeissues. Ethical dilemmas in telenursing are a major problem too. Theassessment tool is costly to implement and as a result, manyhealthcare organizations and agencies shy away from telenursing(Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2016).Patient data is at risk because of rampant cybercrime, and also,there is a limited number of diseases that can bemanaged through telenursing.
Ethical and legal principles
The United States Constitution contains the moralprinciples that are mainly based on thenation`s mandate to protect the citizens. The policydirects that there should be clear standards made to guide telenurseson how to provide adequate care to theirclients. Agencies that adopt telenursing are responsible for theprotection of their patients` data from any form of insecurity suchas cybercrime and unauthorized access by the staff. Appropriatestrategies have to be employed in cases ofregulatory or ethical dilemmas that may present in telenursing. TheNurse Licensure Compact is helpful in resolving major concerns of thelaw (Smith, 2012).
My personal reflection
The information from literature review and interviews has made medecide to practice telenursing in future. Currently, I work as aprimary health care nurse for patients with chronic illnesses in amodern hospital. Patients can be managed from home as long as therisks are eliminated. willenable me to extend the care at home through the provisionof basic principles of self-care. My sphere of knowledge will expandbecause I shall manage many medical conditions and encounter diversecultural perspectives about health care.
Conclusion
is useful in providing careespecially in the 21st century that is characterized byadvanced technology. The advantages of telenursing outweigh itsdisadvantages, and that is the reason why I will practice it in thefuture. Time management and a significantcoverage of patients inspire me to adopt it. Following the provisionsof the constitution shall be my priority because telenursing is sucha professional and problem-solving part of telehealth. To solve allthe ethical dilemmas, I would adhere to the legal and ethicalperspectives available in the constitutional amendment.
References
Brunett, P. H., DiPiero, A., Flores, C., Choi, D.,Kum, H., & Girrard, D. E. (2015). Use of a voice and Internetvideo technology as an alternative to in-person urgent care clinicvisits. Journal Of Telemedicine AndTelecare, 219-226.doi:10.1177/1357633X15571649
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2016). Systems inHealthcare. Week 2 lesson.Retrieved May 16, 2016
Handa, T., & Czar, P. (2013). Handbookof informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals.Boston: Pearson. Retrieved May 2016
Marcin, J. P., Shaikh, U., & Steinhorn, R. H.(2015, April 24). Addressing healthdisparities in rural communities using telehealth.doi:10.1038/pr.2015.192
Moss, E. L. (2014). Just a Telephone Call Away.Nursing Forum Journal,233-239. doi:10.1111/nuf.12052
Smith, L. (2012).. JAMA, 307(1),94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.1944