Improving Education for Advanced Practice Nurses: Developing Competencies for Telehealth
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Problem Under Investigation: Advance practice nurses (APNs) are expected to use telehealth to provide care, yet their limited exposure to healthcare technologies throughout their education interferes with the development of this skill. Objective: Develop culturally sensitive and specific competencies to enhance telehealth education for APN students at the University at Buffalo (UB). Background Literature/Theoretical Framework: An extensive review of literature reveals a scarcity of graduate programs that include telehealth. Nursing organizations suggest incorporating information technologies into curriculums, however the integration of technology into education has been protracted. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning will promote the development of competencies for telehealth education. Methods: An educational session was held with APN students at UB. Following the educational session, a focus group was conducted to obtain feedback. Thematic extraction enhanced the development of competencies for future APN education. Results: Participants indicated an interest in telehealth education as long as it did not detract from current therapeutic education. Participants generated suggestions for future telehealth education at UB. Potential Significance: Competencies were developed for incorporating telehealth into DNP curriculum. Implications: Further research is needed to determine the best method to prepare students to utilize telehealth in practice.