The Gains Of Telehealth Nursing

By John Roberts


You will hardly touch anything today that does not conform to technological inventions. The world has become highly sophisticated, with industries more effective than ever all because of the technological advancements. The health industry is perhaps one of the biggest recipients of what technology has to offer. Telehealth nursing, while still a novel innovation, it is doing so much to improve the delivery of health care services around the world.

Today, health care providers are in a better job environment than what was there a few decades ago. There are numerous telemedicine technologies available to them that make it easy to provide services. Those benefits are not just being felt by the health care providers, but recipients of their services as well. While it is debatable on whether this can be applied on a larger scale, the gains already made cannot be ignored.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is among the fastest growing occupations. The number of qualified nurses has increased tremendously over the past few years. However, the same studies project that nearly half of the registered nurses are approaching retirement age. Statistics also indicate that nursing school enrollment has recorded a sharp decline. This means that there is an impending shortage of nurses in the near future.

With such projections, it is obvious that there will be an acute shortage of those health care professionals. Those statistics get worse when records show that the number of people taking up nursing profession has also declined. The world still needs nurses who work in the traditional hospital settings. This is besides the new positions that have to be filled in home health. This is where technology will help meet the need for nurses.

For a long time now, nurses have been advocating for some modifications in the health care system. Those changes include better access to educational opportunities, which will help them learn new skills and ideas. It will also help to introduce better documentation that will reduce charting time. Furthermore, such changes can increase access to information. This is exactly what telenursing is going to do for that industry.

Before, it was very challenging for nurses to get their next opportunity to advance knowledge through educational opportunities. Having to apply for a study leave and spending all that time in school was somewhat inconveniencing. This is especially with the impending shortage in nursing professionals. However, they can now attend virtual classrooms using internet and make use of patient simulation models to practice, while still at their places of work.

Think of the time a nurse would take to complete their paperwork. When they are working in a busy setup, this could greatly affect efficiency in the health care establishment. However, telemedicine now has a solution for documentation through user-friendly software applications that improve chart efficiency.

Everyone wants to be in control and information gives you the power to have your identity. Telemedicine has made it possible for patients to access a lot of information about medical conditions and how they are treated. Even as they visit a health professional, the two can engage in fruitful discussions unlike the past where the health care provider was the ultimate solution.




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