Telehealth and nursing education

The RCN has commented on the Audit Scotland report A Review of telehealth in Scotland. The RCN's comment relates to the benefits to patient care that telehealth can bring. It also highlights the need for education and training of staff. What about student nurses? It is a key imperative in a technologically-enhanced healthcare context and one which educators of nursing will need to address within their curricula. One example of the way in which telehealth impacts on care is the Scottish telestroke programme. It highlights the aspirations that the Scottish Government has in achieving effective and sustainable 24/7 acute telestroke services. These kinds of developments will impact on our students while they are undertaking their courses and as they progress as qualified nurses. Telehealth champions have been identified in practice and in HEIs in Scotland and working together to take the agenda forward.