Introduction
Telemedicine has gained massive popularity in the recent past. According to Fields et al. (2020), it is now possible for doctors and nurses to offer their services remotely without the need to interact physically with patients. Similarly, it has also become possible for nursing students to receive their training through online platforms without having to be in a traditional physical classroom setting. Telemedicine for learning has become popular over the past 20 months as the global community has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic. It has made it easy for nurses to continue with their learning irrespective of their location or coronavirus containment measures in their area. The use of emerging technologies such as teleconferencing has made e-learning more practical and realistic. In this assignment, the focus is to develop a telemedicine for learning protocol at the local healthcare facility.
Importance of the Protocol
The proposed protocol will eliminate the time that nurses waste when they have to physically move from their workstations to classrooms. Under the new system, nurses will be required to spend one hour in their offices to take their online classes after work. It means that learning will be made more accessible to the nurses. There will also be a significant reduction in the cost of training these nurses. Instead of investing in the construction of classrooms, the institutions will focus on investing in telecommunication infrastructure that will also be used in other aspects of telemedicine. This new protocol will make the work of nursing supervisors easy in terms of ensuring that nurses regularly attend classes to help enhance their skills.
Aim of the Protocol
The primary purpose of this protocol is to increase the enrolment rate of nurses at this healthcare facility for advanced learning. The current problem at the institutions is that some nurses have complained that after work, they cannot find time to attend physical classes. The distance from work to school and back home limits their capacity to enhance their education. Telemedicine for learning helps in addressing this challenge by making it possible for them to learn in their workplaces. The initiative is also meant to lower the cost of learning. The institution can organize with the trainer to offer online classes at lower costs. The reduced cost does benefit not only the institutions but also the learners. Using telecommunication services also makes it possible for the learner to maintain close communication with the trainer during their course. It means that issues that may arise in the learning process can be easily addressed.
The Need for Telemedicine Training
The field of nursing has become dynamic because of emerging trends and practices. According to Pourmand et al. (2021), the role of nurses has been changing as they become more involved in decision-making processes when caring for their patients. The changing work environment because of emerging technologies has redefined the role and responsibilities of nurses. As such, it is essential for nurses to get some form of regular training to ensure that they learn about the changing environmental forces and demands. Telemedicine training offers these nurses the ability to maintain regular training so they can understand these changing trends in the industry. It will equip them with new skills and can enable them to flourish despite the changes brought about by emerging technologies. The institutions will also benefit by having a team of highly skilled nurses.
Institutional and Individual Benefits
Telemedicine for training is highly beneficial to individuals and institutions when implemented in the appropriate way. First, it is more flexible compared with the traditional training model (Harendza et al., 2020). The healthcare institution can arrange with the trainer to offer classes at specific times based on the availability of the staff. It is also the best mode of training when it comes to managing or eliminating the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19. The trainer and the trainees do not have any physical interaction. The strategy lowers the cost of transport for the nurses. Classes will be attended in their workplaces. Using these online platforms to facilitate the training process also makes t easy for the nurses to share information gained from various sources. When implemented effectively, the strategy increases competency among the nursing staff.
Implementation
Infrastructure
The proposed protocol will need the right infrastructure for the implementation to be a success. Figure 2 above shows the infrastructure that will be needed in this project. The trainers will need workstations in their remote locations, which will basically be personal computers with a webcam. Learners will also need individual workstations similar to that of the trainer. The trainer and the trainees will need a network infrastructure internet to facilitate communication. The facility can have a computer laboratory fully equipped with personal computers and reliable, fast internet connectivity. There should also be a regular power supply at the institution to avoid any learning disruptions because of the loss of power.
Human Resource
The project can only be a success if there is an appropriate staff to facilitate various activities in the learning process. The institution will need a team of highly skilled nursing trainers (Waseh & Dicker, 2019). The best strategy is to partner with a local or international institution of higher learning that offers nursing courses. The learning institution will help the healthcare facility to have the right training staff. The project’s success will also depend on the reliability of the computer laboratory where the learning process will take place. As such, the lab technician will play a critical role in ensuring that all the personal computers are functioning properly and that they are all connected to reliable internet at all times. The lab will need regular cleaning to ensure that learners have a safe environment for learning. As such, janitors will form an important part of the needed staff.
Learners
Successful implementation of the project will require the cooperation of the nurses, who, in this case, are referred to as learners. As such, the nursing supervisor will need to ensure that the nurses understand the significance of attending these online classes regularly. They should remain committed to their academic progress as a way of enhancing their skills. One of the ways of ensuring that they remain motivated is for them to get accreditation upon completion of the course. It will be an assurance to them that time spent in these online classes is critical for their career progress. It is also necessary to ensure that the institution adjusts the remuneration of these nurses regularly to reflect the skills gained during the training sessions and their significance to the healthcare institution. The attractive pay will ensure that the institution does not lose skilled employees to rival institutions.
Possible Challenges and Remedies
When implementing this protocol, it is important to acknowledge the fact that there will be challenges that may be encountered. One of the common challenges in such a setting is the disruption of classes caused by a power or internet outage (Waseh & Dicker, 2019). The facility should invest in power back-ups and regular internet to avoid such challenges. Lack of seriousness among some learners, especially those who are used to brick-and-mortar learning, maybe another challenge. The nursing supervisor should reiterate the significance of telemedicine in training and its benefits. They should understand that learning is changing from traditional models to online platforms. Limited ability to conduct some practical lessons in another challenge. The trainer and the healthcare institution can make arrangements for the lecturer to conduct online practical lessons and make follow-ups at the workstations of the nurses.
Case Study: Telemedicine for Training at John Hopkins Hospital
Speaker’s Notes
John Hopkins Hospital is one of the leading teaching hospitals and research facilities in the country. The management of this institution has made a significant investment in regular nurse training as a way of regularly enhancing their skills and capabilities (Pourmand et al., 2021). As shown in figure 3 above, the facility has ensured that nurses have fully equipped personal computers that they use in offering their telemedicine services and for learning purposes. Once they have completed their day’s work, they spend 45 minutes attending online classes at their workstations. They can then go home after the classes. The strategy has been successful in the facility as it has become routine among the nurses. It works well for the institution because there is no time wastage among the staff. It has helped the hospital to maintain a team of highly qualified medical staff.
Conclusion
Telemedicine has gained massive acceptance in the United States and around the world. The concept has also become relevant in the training of the medical staff, especially nurses. It eliminates time wastage by making it possible for nurses to get their training in their workstations instead of having to go to physical classes. The discussion above has shown that telemedicine requires the commitment of both the management and nurses for it to be a success. The management should invest in the necessary infrastructure to make such classes a reality. They should also enact policies that will encourage the practice. On the other hand, nurses need to take such classes seriously and understand that it helps in advancing their careers.
Recommendation and Summary
Telemedicine has a huge potential that is yet to be fully exploited, even in developed economies like the United States. For a healthcare facility that is keen on promoting telemedicine for training, it is necessary to start by making relevant policies that will promote the culture of online learning. Nurses should embrace the new concept and understand that they will have advanced credentials when they maintain the practice. The institution should also invest in telemedicine infrastructure to help promote the culture. As shown in the analysis above, the same infrastructure that nurses use to offer telemedicine services to patients will be used for the learning process. It is also recommended that nurses at this institution should learn to share information among themselves. They should take advantage of the available resources to conduct online research and enhance their skills.
References
Fields, B., Dholakia, S., & Ioachimescu, O. (2020). Sleep telemedicine training in fellowship programs: A survey of program directors. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(4), 7-18.
Gogia, S., Novaes, M., Basu, A., & Gogia, K. (2020). Fundamentals of telemedicine and telehealth. Elsevier Science.
Harendza, S., Gärtner, J., Zelesniack, E., & Prediger, S. (2020). Evaluation of a telemedicine-based training for final-year medical students including simulated patient consultations, documentation, and case presentation. GMS Journal for Medical Education, 37(7), 94.
Pourmand, A., Ghassemi, M., Sumon, K., Amini, S., Hood, C., & Sikka, N. (2021). Lack of telemedicine training in academic medicine: Are we preparing the next generation? Telemedicine and e-Health, 27(1), 62-67.
Waseh, S., & Dicker, A. (2019). Telemedicine training in undergraduate medical education: Mixed-methods review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 5(1), 515.