Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2021

Document Type

Independent Study

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Nursing

Program Affiliation

Nurse Educator (NE)

First Advisor

Patricia L. Parker

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased the use of telehealth in nursing practice. Many practicing nurses used telehealth with little to no formal training. Did the pre-licensure registered nurse (RN) programs prepare the nurses to provide the best possible client-centered care when using telehealth? When pre-licensure RN programs are looking at meeting the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, adding telehealth education to the curriculum is an expected element of developing a strong academic program. The Essentials outline the necessary curriculum content and expected competencies of graduates from baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, as well as the clinical support needed for the full spectrum of academic nursing. Health care agencies anticipate that nurses will use telehealth as an additional client interfacing tool when entering the workforce. A variety of research data bases resulted that telehealth training is necessary to improve the confidence and comfort level of graduate students in their curricula. Additionally, this research can translate well for pre-licensure RN programs. A review of articles pertaining to undergraduate programs revealed evidence to match the need of telehealth education. Nursing students improved their confidence, comfort, and adaptability with the use of technology after a telehealth experience (Lister et al., 2018). Academic institutions can control and bridge the knowledge gap by incorporating telehealth education in all nursing programs, which would ultimately enhance nursing practice delivery methods that improve client-centered access to optimal care.

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