The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) updated its landmark standards for tele-critical care nursing practice, offering specific recommendations for developing and enhancing tele-critical care programs.
After issuing the first authoritative document to define practice guidelines specifically for the emerging telenursing practice in critical care in 2013, AACN’s update, “AACN Tele-critical Care Nursing Practice: An Expert Consensus Statement Supporting Acute, Progressive and Critical Care, 2022,” addresses the changes and details up-to-date findings in this fast-growing area of healthcare.
The consensus statement reflects current evidence, best practices, and the expert opinions of AACN’s nine-person Tele-critical Care Task Force. It underscores how the contributions of tele-critical care nurses continued to expand by embracing additional risk assessments, interventions, and patient safety measures.
During the pandemic, tele-critical care nurses addressed the loss of experienced nurses from the on-site team, leaving a knowledge gap. Their work includes mentoring on-site nurses, facilitating the ongoing development of newer nurses, and supporting excellent nursing care.
The AACN updated its landmark standards for tele-critical care nursing practice, offering specific recommendations for developing and enhancing tele-critical care programs
The initiative brought together tele-critical care nursing leaders from varied backgrounds to share their expertise and dynamic front-line perspectives, resulting in a comprehensive, patient-centric update. The task force was led by Theresa Davis, Ph.D., RN, NE-BC, CHTP, FAAN, and Lisa-Mae Williams, Ph.D., RN, CCRN-K, two national leaders in tele-critical care nursing.
“Tele-critical care programs have become more pervasive with advances in technologies and expansions in modalities, and the number of patients served,” Davis says. We’ve seen significant growth in tele-critical care services, including expanding beyond traditional critical care areas, medical-surgical units and even home-care settings. This document offers a broader definition of the term ‘teleICU’ to reflect how these nurses contribute to care beyond intensive care units.”
“In addition to caring for patients, tele-critical care nurses are helping to address the experience gap by providing an extra layer of support and expertise to the on-site team,” Williams says. “Knowledge and expertise are precious commodities, especially when caring for critically ill patients. Mentoring a novice nurse, a float nurse, or traveling nurse can instill a greater sense of confidence, while peer-to-peer collaboration can help on-site colleagues feel more supported.”
The consensus statement’s practice recommendations include essential elements for tele-critical care nurses, nurse leaders, and their healthcare organizations.
The document includes clinical scenarios with real-world examples of how clinicians implemented each key recommendation in various environments, including natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. An increased focus on the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion has been integrated throughout the document, beginning with its first recommendation and continuing through the practice model and clinical vignettes.
The statement includes the AACN Tele-critical Care Nursing Practice Model, which provides the conceptual framework for implementing and evaluating tele-critical care nursing practice.
Download the 41-page consensus statement here.
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