The purpose of this assignment is to explore the specialty of telenursing as one example of the use of technology in various practice settings. Advantages and
disadvantages for the patient and legal and ethical principles for the nurse of this technology will be explored.
BACKGROUND
Our text (Hebda 2013) provides us with a broad perspective on telehealth. However the specialty of telenursing is only briefly discussed. Healthcare is readily
embracing any technology to improve patient outcomes streamline operations and lower costs. This technology includes the use of various applications based in various
environments where registered nurses indirectly provide professional nursing care.
SCENARIO
The following scenario serves as the basis for your paper:
Manuel one of your colleagues is considering leaving his medical-surgical position where both of you have worked for the past 12 years. In fact he has an interview
in two weeks for a Telenurse Specialist position at a nurse-owned home health agency. This agency monitors the elderly and those with chronic illnesses to keep them
from being readmitted to the hospital. Manuel is doing some research on his own and knows that the hours sound great and the pay is comparable. One advantage is that
he can work from home (telecommute) most of the time and only interface with the agency for required meetings.
Manuel knows you are enrolled in this course. You have discussed various concepts that you noted in your Syllabus including technology privacy confidentiality
interoperability legal and ethical issues and patients? access to the World Wide Web just to name a few. Manuel has shared that he does not know much about
telehealth and the role of nursing in this ?new? technology. He has asked you to educate him on the advantages and disadvantages to patients of telenursing. Frankly
he does not understand what he might be doing on a day-to-day basis. One concern is the technology that may be involved.
Manuel has indicated that he realizes the final decision about a career move will be his choice but he is seeking your knowledge based on concepts presented in this
course. He wants to be knowledgeable about the role of the professional nurse in this practice setting prior to his interview.
You tell Manuel that you will need to do some research and that you will get back to him about your conclusion and recommendation. You have heard of telenursing and
how it can prevent patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and CHF (congestive heart failure) from being readmitted to the hospital but you
recognize that you will need to do much more investigation.
DIRECTIONS
1. You are to research (find evidence) compose and type a scholarly paper based on the scenario described above. Reflect on what you have learned in this class to
date about technology privacy rights ethical issues interoperability patient satisfaction consumer education and other topics. Your text by Hebda (2013 Chapter
25) discusses telehealth in detail. However your focus should be on the professional nurse?s role in telehealth such as telenursing. Therefore do not limit your
review of the literature to your text. Nurses in various specialties need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of telenursing as it applies to their
patients. For example when you discharge a patient from an acute care setting will a telenursing service assist that individual with staying out of the hospital? You
may need to apply critical thinking skills to development of your paper.
2. Use Microsoft Word and APA formatting to develop your paper. Consult the Publication manual of the APA 6th edition if you have questions for example margin size
font type and size (point) use of third person and so forth. The length of the paper should be 4?5 pages excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit your
references to key sources.
3. The paper should contain an Introduction that catches the attention of the reader with interesting facts and supporting sources of evidence which need to be
mentioned as in-text citations. The Body should present the advantages and disadvantages of telenursing from a patient perspective. The Conclusion and Recommendations
should summarize your findings and state your position on whether Manuel should accept the position should it be offered to him.