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Key Takeaways
Telehealth nursing blends clinical judgment with communication and technology skills to deliver safe virtual care.
Nurses use remote assessment, triage, and documentation skills to care for patients they cannot examine in person.
Virtual care has grown sharply; 71% of physicians reported using telehealth weekly in 2024, up from 25% in 2018.
Telehealth nursing spans the full care process, from planning and preparing to providing and evaluating visits.
Advanced education and ongoing training can help nurses build competencies applicable to virtual care.
Telehealth nursing once centered largely on telephone-based care. Today, nurses can use technologies ranging from high-definition video to remote monitoring devices, while emerging tools like AI are becoming part of telehealth practice.1,3 That shift has expanded the ways nurses can connect with and care for patients remotely. Telehealth nursing provides an opportunity for RNs to apply existing and developing nursing skills in a virtual environment.
What Is Telehealth Nursing?
Telehealth nursing is the practice of delivering nursing care through telecommunications technology so registered nurses can assess, educate, triage, and coordinate care for patients remotely.1 It’s a delivery mode nurses practice within their existing license—not a separate nursing specialty.2 It happens in ambulatory, virtual, and contact center settings,3 and telehealth nurses are expected to follow applicable standards for safe, high-quality and ethical nursing care.3,4
Rather than replacing hands-on nursing, it extends nurses’ reach. And that reach is growing fast. Telehealth use among physicians rose from 25% in 2018 to 71% weekly in 2024, according to data from the American Medical Association (AMA).5
In Doximity’s 2024 survey, 75% of patients with chronic illness reported having used virtual care.6 In Deloitte’s 2024 survey, 94% of consumers who had experienced a virtual visit said they were willing to have another one.7
What Skills Do Telehealth Nurses Need?
Telehealth nurses need skills that include clear communication, comfort with technology, sharp remote assessment, and accurate documentation.2 Nurses adapt bedside instincts to a screen, where they cannot perform the same hands-on assessments available during an in-person examination. These competencies support safe, person-centered care at a distance.
Communication and “Webside Manner”
A nurse’s “webside manner” is the virtual counterpart to bedside manner: how a nurse connects and builds trust through a screen.2 Clear communication helps patients describe symptoms accurately and feel heard. Nurses use camera positioning, eye contact, facial expressions, and tone to support communication during a virtual encounter.
Technology Proficiency
Telehealth nurses should be comfortable with video platforms, remote monitoring devices, electronic records, triage software, and other virtual and digital tools. Updated competencies from the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) now include AI in clinical decision-making, triage, documentation, and patient engagement.3
Remote Assessment and Triage
Without a hands-on exam, nurses rely on keen listening, guided observation, and structured questions. They prioritize, intervene, and evaluate from a distance.4 Remote triage skills help a nurse decide whether a patient can be managed at home, needs an in-person visit, or requires emergency care.1
Documentation and Data Security
Accurate, timely documentation is just as important in virtual care, and nurses must protect patient privacy across digital platforms. They use secure systems and ensure the safe transmission of health information.4
Ethics and Cultural Humility
The American Nurses Association (ANA) calls for virtual care to be grounded in its Code of Ethics, with attention to dignity, respect, and cultural humility. In practice, that means nurses recognize each patient’s circumstances, address health inequities, and work within their licensed scope. When virtual care can no longer meet a patient’s needs, the nurse ensures timely transitions.4
How Do Nurses Learn Telehealth Skills?
Nurses may acquire some telehealth skills on the job, such as during clinical orientation or a residency.2 But some nursing education can also introduce and reinforce telehealth competencies. At Chamberlain University, telehealth is integrated throughout the post-licensure curriculum, from the RN to BSN Option through MSN and DNP programs. Telehealth concepts and competencies are addressed in informatics courses across program levels and are reinforced within specialty courses to support role-specific application in nursing practice.
The Four P’s of Telehealth organize the underlying competencies into four phases:2
Planning covers telehealth definitions, regulations, benefits, and barriers.
Preparing includes building protocols, securing consent, setting up equipment, and training staff.
Providing is the visit itself: initiating, conducting, and wrapping up the encounter.
Performance evaluation measures how well the program works and where to improve.
How Can Nurses Build Skills Applicable to Telehealth Nursing?
Nurses interested in deepening their nursing practice may consider Chamberlain’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, which offers multiple specializations. They include:
Four nurse practitioner specializations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Five nonclinical specializations: Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, Healthcare Policy, and Population Health.
Chamberlain designed its Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited MSN program with working nurses in mind. It combines online coursework plus a practicum. There is no GRE required, and the program offers multiple start dates throughout the year.
The numbers tell the story: Virtual care is growing and is undoubtedly here to stay. Nurses interested in reaching patients in new ways can build knowledge and skills that may be applicable to virtual care and their broader nursing goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is telehealth nursing?
Telehealth nursing is the practice of delivering nursing care through telecommunications technology so registered nurses can assess, educate, triage, and coordinate care for patients remotely.
Can any nurse practice telehealth nursing?
Nurses practicing telehealth nursing need appropriate education, skills, and competencies to deliver virtual care safely while working within their licensed scope.
Is telehealth nursing a recognized nursing specialty?
No. Telehealth is a mode of nursing care delivery rather than a separate nursing specialty.
Does telehealth nursing replace in-person care?
No. Telehealth nursing extends a nurse’s reach but does not replace hands-on care. When a patient’s needs can no longer be met through virtual care, nurses help ensure an appropriate and timely transition in care.
¹Source: www.aaacn.org/practice-resources/telehealth/telehealth-nursing-practice
3Source: www.aaacn.org/practice-resources/telehealth-scope-and-standards
4Source: www.nursingworld.org/globalassets/docs/ana/ethics/principles-of-virtual-nursing.pdf
6Source: www.doximity.com/reports/state-of-telemedicine-report/2024
Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 135 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.
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