Career Spotlight: Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth nurses offer health care from a distance through the use of technology such as mobile devices, tablets, and computers. Although they do not visit with patients in-person, telehealth nurses deliver services to provide them with necessary care.
Telehealth nursing has evolved over time and become a common practice at many hospitals and clinics. It especially became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people could not travel due to illness and hospitals were overcrowded. In rural areas, telehealth nursing enables patients and clinicians to interact without the challenges of travel and expenses while improving communication and timeliness. And telehealth also permits medical professionals to diagnose certain low-risk conditions, outline treatment options, and educate patients about self-care at home, which improves health care outcomes.
According to Glassdoor.com, the average salary for telehealth nurses is $71,632.
Telehealth Nursing Job Responsibilities
Telehealth nurses can work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient care facilities, poison control centers, and trauma centers. They have a variety of job responsibilities, depending on their job location and specialty. These responsibilities may include:
- Scheduling appointments and referring patients
- Consulting with patients over the phone or via video chat
- Educating patients on different ways to manage their symptoms
- Monitoring patients’ oxygen levels, health rate, respiration, and blood glucose
- Providing pre-surgical and post-surgical care
- Providing medical advice
- Supporting medical response teams in bringing patients to the hospital
Telehealth Nurse Qualifications
Higher education is the most important qualification to becoming a telehealth nurse, and an associate degree in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing are necessary to earn. It’s also important to gain bedside experience. While there is no specific certification for telehealth nursing, some telehealth nurses who work in ambulatory care settings are required to learn specific knowledge to care for patients. For this reason, the Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification (RN-BC) is often required.
Beyond education, telehealth nurses should be empathetic and have high attention to detail, good online communication skills, and good technical skills.
Why Become a Telehealth Nurse?
Telehealth nursing provides a range of benefits for both patients and providers. According to Telehealth.com:
- It improves patient access to care—Telehealth nursing provides patients access to care, including people in vulnerable populations and those who live in rural areas.
- It saves time and money—Telehealth nursing allows patients to consult with a nurse from their home so they do not have to take time off work, pay for transportation, arrange for childcare, or deal with other obstacles.
- It helps people avoid exposure to illnesses—As mentioned, telehealth nursing has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic demonstrated that telehealth helps patients avoid exposure to illnesses and protect providers from getting sick.
- It helps clinicians better manage chronic conditions and aftercare—Telehealth services can help patients manage their conditions and aftercare following procedures. Remote patient monitoring can make checkups more convenient.
- It helps balance nurse workloads—Nurses must juggle many tasks, so it’s essential that they use their time, energy, and resources effectively so their patients can receive good care. Telehealth nursing allows nurses to balance their workloads or add flexibility to their career.
If being a telehealth nurse sounds like the right career for you, talk with an Excelsior College admissions counselor about starting your educational journey in nursing.
