Newswise — The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has published an update to its landmark teleICU nursing standards, offering specific recommendations for the development, growth and enhancement of teleICU programs.
In 2013, AACN issued the first authoritative document to define practice guidelines specifically for the emerging telenursing practice in critical care. The newly released document, “AACN TeleICU Nursing Practice: An Expert Consensus Statement Supporting High Acuity, Progressive and Critical Care,” addresses the changes and provides up-to-date findings in this fast-growing area of healthcare.
The consensus statement reflects current evidence, best practice and the expert opinions of AACN’s 13-person TeleICU Task Force. The document also includes clinical scenarios with real-world examples of how clinicians implemented each key recommendation in various environments.
“The level of technology acceptance has created opportunities to apply the teleICU model from rural to urban areas and from land to sea,” said task force co-chair Theresa Davis, PhD, RN, NE-BC, CHTP, clinical operations director for Inova Telemedicine enVision eICU. “The ability to leverage clinical expertise across miles in an efficient way is valuable in both critical situations and routine care delivery.”
In addition to creating a framework for implementing and evaluating teleICU nursing practice, the statement introduces a model for achieving excellence and optimal patient care and outcomes through:
- Shared knowledge and goals
- Mutual respect
- Skilled communication
- True collaboration
- Practice excellence
- Authentic leadership
- Optimized technology
A study funded by AACN and published in the January 2016 issue of the American Journal of Critical Care, “Assessing the Impact of Telemedicine on Nursing Care in Intensive Care Units,” was among the many resources used by the task force as it developed the consensus statement. That study found that 79.2 percent of the 1,213 nurses surveyed agree that teleICU implementation provides an opportunity to improve patient care, and 63.6 percent said it could also improve their job performance.
The 16-page consensus statement can be downloaded from AACN’s website at no charge. A print version of the booklet is also available for purchase from AACN’s online store.
AACN offers a CCRN-E specialty certification for nurses who primarily provide acute or critical care for adult patients in a teleICU setting.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4109; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme
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