Assignment

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:

You have worked with Tomika for the past five years. Tomika shares with you that she has resigned and plans to work in an agency that installs telemonitoring equipment into the homes of those with chronic illnesses. Nurses monitor the patients using the equipment with the goal of detecting problems before patients need to be readmitted to the hospital. Tomika will be working from her own home, with occasional meetings at the agency. She would not be visiting her patients in their homes, but rather would be assessing and interacting with them via videoconferencing. She tells you that there are still job openings and encourages you to apply.

You are intrigued by this, and decide to investigate whether telenursing would be a good choice for you, too. Is telenursing in your future?

DIRECTIONS

1. You are to research (find evidence), compose, and type a scholarly paper that describes telenursing as described above, and whether it is a good fit for you. 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 from the professional nurse's role in telenursing. Do not limit your review of the literature to only what you read in 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. In the conclusion of your paper, describe your current employment situation, and whether a job in telenursing would, or would not, fit with your career goals and life situation once you graduate from Chamberlain.

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. Take advantage of the writing service, Smarthinking, which is accessed by clicking on the link called the Tutor Source, found under the Course Home tab. Also, review and use the various documents in Doc Sharing related to APA.

3. The length of the paper should be 4-5 pages, excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit your references to key sources.

4. 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. Keep in mind that APA guidelines state you are not to call this an "Introduction" but you should include it at the beginning of your paper. The Body should present the advantages and disadvantages of telenursing from your perspective as an employee, and the patient's perspective as a recipient of the care nurses provide. The Conclusion and Recommendations should summarize your findings and state your position on whether you will apply for a position with the agency.

NOTE: Review the section on Academic Honesty found in the Chamberlain Course Policies.