When the COVID-19 pandemic displaced students involved in clinical studies, the Nurse Practitioner Faculty team pivoted to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines for students to use telehealth as a modality for care delivery and assessment.
Dr. Melody Randle, MSN NP program chair, teamed with Dr. Lori Irelan, regional chair, Dr. Stacey Graves, and Dr. Lynn Thomas-Bauer to create an evidence-based telehealth educational module in alignment with accreditation and licensing standards. Students learned telehealth skills and techniques to put into practice in interacting with patients via computer or phone.
“For example, if the patient is being seen for chest pains, make sure you get the information for the person located nearest to the patient in case we need to make arrangements for emergency care,” Dr. Randle says.
In addition to allowing students to continue their clinical work under the supervision of their preceptors, the program will give participants an advantage in their careers, as telehealth is expected to remain as a popular care option after the pandemic ends.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to place their experience with telehealth on their résumés,” Dr. Randle says.