Assessing Knowledge, Confidence, and Attitude Toward Virtual Care and Telehealth Among Graduate Nursing Students

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth and virtual healthcare modalities have become primary care delivery methods. The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AACN) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) support using virtual care and telehealth technology in health care services. Although most healthcare institutions utilize telehealth to provide care, emerging research highlights the lack of telehealth training in Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) education. However, no standard curriculum requirements mandate graduate nursing programs to train APRN students in telehealth or virtual health modalities. Due to the lack of training for APRNs, it can be very challenging for new APRNs entering clinical settings that rely heavily on virtual care and telehealth services. Therefore, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess the current state of APRN students’ perceived knowledge, confidence, and attitudes in conducting virtual care/telehealth visits using a standardized patient simulation activity as an adjunct training opportunity for students enrolled in their program's Advanced Health Assessment Course. The project findings will help the graduate nursing program comply with the guidelines of the AANP and AACN recommendations for APRN education programs, which strongly promote the incorporation of virtual care and telehealth technology into nursing program curricula.