Communication skills and prior bedside clinical experience are vital for nurses involved with remote monitoring of patients in the intensive-care unit, according to new guidelines issued by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (PDF).
“Tele-ICU nurses demonstrate that shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect are the elements necessary to create successful integration between the tele-ICU environment and bedside nursing practice,” the document states as the first “essential element” in the practice guideline on effective communication.
The second guideline refers to tele-ICU knowledge, skill and competency requirements. The third guideline calls for nurses to be actively engaged in measuring and analyzing outcome data in order to ensure continuous improvement.
“The guidelines for tele-ICU nursing contained in this document create a framework for tele-ICU nursing practice and a yardstick against which this practice can be measured and developed,” the guideline document concluded.
