远程医疗和护理的未来

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There’s no question about it — telehealth is quickly becoming an industry standard rather than an added option. Medical institutions across the country are discovering the array of benefits telehealth nursing provides and are incorporating the practice into their operations as quickly as possible.

While telehealth has been around for decades, it has made leaps and bounds in recent years as patients and providers have embraced the service’s potential to improve healthcare. Through a variety of telehealth platforms, patients now have access to high-quality care from the comfort of their own homes — an experience that has proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the safety telehealth provides during these uncertain times, it also offers convenience. Long workdays, family obligations, meal preparation, and more combine to make the modern American’s schedule more hectic than ever before.

For many, the ability to avoid trips to the doctor’s office and long waiting room lines is highly attractive. It’s also cost-effective, as fewer scheduling inefficiencies and staffing roadblocks lead to cost savings for providers and patients alike. Together, these factors have further propelled the popularity of telehealth in the 21st century.

Given the promising future of telehealth nursing, many healthcare professionals are jumping in headfirst and eagerly asking what telehealth certification looks like for nurses.

What is Telehealth Nursing?

Telehealth nursing is a method of delivering care remotely using technology, including mobile devices, tablets, and computers. Sophisticated telehealth encompasses more than digital appointment reminders and confirmations — it is a way to offer real healthcare assistance and support from a distance.

While a nurse’s role in telehealth varies depending on position, it’s similar to the role the nurse plays during in-person visits — providing patients with care, education, and counseling during times of need.

The basic definition of telehealth nursing is straightforward, yet the practice has evolved significantly over time. Traditionally conducted solely within the realms of independent entities, telehealth nursing has blossomed into an extension of many healthcare plans, hospitals, and clinics over the last 20 years.

Telehealth nursing is often an integral part of large acute care institutions, serving as an intermediary step in which nurses assess a patient’s condition and determine if an in-person visit is necessary. Healthcare professionals may also use remote nursing sessions to diagnose lower-risk conditions, outline treatment options, educate patients about self-care at home, and more.

Adoption of Telehealth and Nursing

Given all the benefits of telehealth nursing for both patients and providers  — convenience, high-quality care, faster results, etc. — it’s no surprise that the future looks bright for telehealth nursing. As technology advances, patients’ comfort with virtual patient-clinician communication tends to increase, and with institutions like Stanford Children’s Hospital more than doubling their number of telehealth appointments, it seems unlikely that telehealth nursing is going away any time soon.

But the expected growth of telehealth nursing doesn’t just mean more opportunities for quality care — it also signals large-scale transformation and new opportunities for the medical field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a projected 194,500 average annual openings are expected for registered nurses between 2020 and 2030, with employment projected to grow by 9%.

This is where telehealth comes into play. The American Telemedicine Association predicts that more than half of all healthcare services will be consumed virtually by 2030. If true, this widespread adoption of telehealth technology could mitigate the effects of the nursing shortage — allowing fewer nurses to see more people — while further transforming the way healthcare is provided and consumed.

Given the value and trends of telehealth nursing, now is the time for medical institutions to begin integrating telehealth technology and practices into their operations.

Fostering Connection Between Patients and Clinicians

Telehealth nursing can be incorporated into a medical setting in a variety of ways, particularly in acute care. For many hospitals — especially those in rural areas — successful telehealth nursing fosters improved connection and communication between patients and clinicians.

Patients living in rural areas typically travel great distances to access medical care, but the journey isn’t over once they arrive. Rural hospitals often lack access to specialty physicians with the background to address more advanced or complex conditions, leaving many patients without the healthcare support they need.

Telehealth platforms enable nurses to easily connect with patients from afar, providing quality care without extensive travel on the patients’ parts. Nurses in these rural settings can also use telehealth technology to remotely connect patients with out-of-area medical professionals, ensuring all patients have access to the specialized care they need. Even ICUs and NICUs in rural areas (and beyond) are using telehealth to facilitate patient-practitioner interactions, relying on video functionality to monitor sepsis, wound care, respiratory issues, and more.

Do Telehealth Nurses Work From Home?

Whether or not a telehealth nurse works from home depends on the nature of the work and the employer. While some telehealth nurses provide remote support alongside a team of telehealth professionals within a hospital, clinic, or corporate environment, many others conduct their work from home. These at-home nurses typically operate as an extension of a healthcare corporation or institution, handling triage, processing insurance claims, and managing disability cases.

The ability to work from home and have more flexible hours appeals to new and seasoned nurses seeking a better work-life balance. Unlike traditional onsite nurses, telehealth nurses who work from home can maintain their positions from anywhere. As long as they have a strong, reliable internet connection, their jobs are largely secure.

How Do I Become a Certified Telehealth Nurse?

Healthcare professionals interested in how to become a telehealth nurse are in luck: There are no telehealth-specific certifications required for telehealth nurses.

Those interested in becoming a telehealth nurse will need a nursing degree, an active nursing license, and the technological and communication skills necessary for providing remote healthcare support. Most telehealth employers also require one to two years of hands-on nursing experience in addition to triage experience. In certain cases, the requirement might be three to five years of experience.

Telehealth employers focused on a specialty area will look for candidates with specific training and certifications. For example, some nurses may have to demonstrate their knowledge of monitoring equipment, and others might need Certified Emergency Nurse credentials.

Taking Your Telehealth Nursing Skills to New Heights

Technical certifications aside, all of the qualities that an onsite nurse needs — empathy, breadth and depth of knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, etc. — apply to a telehealth nurse. While these attributes may appear naturally during an in-person appointment, many healthcare professionals must hone their communication skills to ensure they translate through phone or video appointments.

But above all, successful telehealth nurses must continuously strive to develop their skills. Technology and telehealth nursing are advancing quickly, making it difficult for many healthcare professionals to keep pace. Telehealth nurses who pursue structured training and education on an annual basis elevate their qualifications and earn a leg up on the competition.

全文翻译（仅供参考）

毫无疑问——远程医疗正在迅速成为行业标准，而不是附加选项。全国各地的医疗机构正在发现远程医疗护理提供的一系列好处，并正在尽快将这种做法纳入其运营中。

虽然远程医疗已经存在了几十年，但近年来随着患者和提供者接受了该服务改善医疗保健的潜力，它取得了长足的进步。通过各种远程医疗平台，患者现在可以在自己舒适的家中获得高质量的护理——这种体验在 COVID-19 大流行期间被证明是无价的。

除了在这些不确定时期提供的安全远程医疗外，它还提供了便利。漫长的工作日、家庭义务、膳食准备等等，使现代美国人的日程安排比以往任何时候都更加忙碌。

对于许多人来说，避免去医生办公室和排长队等候的能力非常有吸引力。它还具有成本效益，因为更少的调度效率低下和人员配置障碍可以为提供者和患者等节省成本。这些因素共同推动了 21 世纪远程医疗的普及。

鉴于远程医疗护理的美好未来，许多医疗保健专业人士一头扎进，急切地询问护士的远程医疗认证是什么样的。

什么是远程医疗护理？

远程医疗护理是一种使用移动设备、平板电脑和计算机等技术远程提供护理的方法。复杂的远程医疗不仅仅包括数字预约提醒和确认——它是一种远程提供真正的医疗帮助和支持的方式。

虽然护士在远程医疗中的角色因职位而异，但它与护士在亲自访问期间所扮演的角色相似——在需要时为患者提供护理、教育和咨询。

远程医疗护理的基本定义很简单，但随着时间的推移，这种做法已经发生了显着变化。传统上仅在独立实体的领域内进行，远程医疗护理在过去 20 年中已发展成为许多医疗保健计划、医院和诊所的延伸。

远程医疗护理通常是大型急症护理机构不可或缺的一部分，充当护士评估患者状况并确定是否需要亲自就诊的中间步骤。医疗保健专业人员还可以使用远程护理课程来诊断低风险疾病、概述治疗方案、教育患者在家中进行自我保健等。

采用远程医疗和护理

鉴于远程医疗护理对患者和提供者的所有好处——方便、高质量的护理、更快的结果等——远程医疗护理的未来看起来一片光明也就不足为奇了。随着技术的进步，患者对虚拟医患沟通的舒适度趋于增加，而且随着斯坦福儿童医院等机构的远程医疗预约数量增加了一倍以上，远程医疗护理似乎不太可能很快消失。

但远程医疗护理的预期增长不仅仅意味着更多的优质护理机会——它也预示着医疗领域的大规模转型和新机遇。根据美国劳工统计局的数据，预计 2020 年至 2030 年间注册护士的年均职位空缺为 194,500 个，预计就业人数将增长 9%。

这就是远程医疗发挥作用的地方。美国远程医疗协会预测，到 2030 年，超过一半的医疗保健服务将被虚拟消费。如果属实，远程医疗技术的广泛采用可以减轻护理短缺的影响——让更少的护士看到更多的人——同时进一步改变提供和消费医疗保健的方式。

鉴于远程医疗护理的价值和趋势，现在是医疗机构开始将远程医疗技术和实践整合到其运营中的时候了。

促进患者和临床医生之间的联系

远程医疗护理可以通过多种方式融入医疗环境，尤其是在急症护理中。对于许多医院（尤其是农村地区的医院）而言，成功的远程医疗护理促进了患者和临床医生之间的联系和沟通。

居住在农村地区的患者通常要长途跋涉才能获得医疗服务，但他们到达后的旅程并没有结束。农村医院通常无法获得具有解决更高级或更复杂疾病背景的专科医生的机会，从而使许多患者无法获得所需的医疗保健支持。

远程医疗平台使护士能够轻松地与远方的患者联系，提供优质的护理，而无需对患者进行大量旅行。这些农村环境中的护士还可以使用远程医疗技术将患者与外地医疗专业人员远程连接，确保所有患者都能获得他们需要的专业护理。甚至农村地区（及其他地区）的 ICU和 NICU 也在使用远程医疗来促进患者与从业者之间的互动，依靠视频功能来监测败血症、伤口护理、呼吸问题等。

远程医疗护士在家工作吗？

远程医疗护士是否在家工作取决于工作的性质和雇主。虽然一些远程医疗护士在医院、诊所或公司环境中与远程医疗专业人员团队一起提供远程支持，但许多其他人在家中进行工作。这些家庭护士通常作为医疗保健公司或机构的延伸，处理分类、处理保险索赔和管理残疾案件。

在家工作的能力和更灵活的工作时间吸引了新的和经验丰富的护士寻求更好的工作与生活平衡。与传统的现场护士不同，在家工作的远程医疗护士可以在任何地方保持自己的位置。只要他们拥有强大、可靠的互联网连接，他们的工作就基本上是安全的。

我如何成为一名认证的远程医疗护士？

对如何成为远程医疗护士感兴趣的医疗保健专业人员很幸运：远程医疗护士不需要特定于远程医疗的认证。

那些有兴趣成为远程医疗护士的人将需要护理学位、有效的护理执照以及提供远程医疗支持所需的技术和沟通技巧。除了分诊经验之外，大多数远程医疗雇主还需要一到两年的实际护理经验。在某些情况下，要求可能是三到五年的经验。

专注于专业领域的远程医疗雇主将寻找具有特定培训和认证的候选人。例如，一些护士可能必须证明他们对监控设备的了解，而其他护士可能需要认证的紧急护士证书。

将您的远程医疗护理技能提升到新的高度

除了技术认证，现场护士需要的所有品质——同理心、知识的广度和深度、强大的人际交往能力等——都适用于远程医疗护士。虽然这些属性可能会在面对面预约期间自然出现，但许多医疗保健专业人员必须磨练他们的沟通技巧，以确保他们通过电话或视频预约进行翻译。

但最重要的是，成功的远程医疗护士必须不断努力发展他们的技能。技术和远程医疗护理正在迅速发展，这使得许多医疗保健专业人员难以跟上步伐。每年进行结构化培训和教育的远程医疗护士提高了他们的资格并在竞争中获得了优势。

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