Telenursing: Is It in My Future

Guidelines and Grading Rubric
PURPOSE
The purpose of this assignment is to explore the specialty of telehealth, and more specifically telenursing, as one example of the use of technology in various practice settings. Advantages and disadvantages for the patient and legal and ethical principles for the nurse of this technology will be explored.
COURSE OUTCOMES
This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
CO #2: Investigate safeguards and decision-making support tools embedded in patient care technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for both patients and healthcare workers. (PO #4)
CO #6: Discuss the principles of data integrity, professional ethics, and legal requirements related to data security, regulatory requirements, confidentiality, and client’s right to privacy. (PO #6)
BACKGROUND
Our text (Hebda, 2013) provides us with a broad perspective on telehealth. However, the specialty of telenursing is only briefly discussed. Healthcare is readily embracing any technology to improve patient outcomes, streamline operations, and lower costs. This technology includes the use of various applications based in various environments where registered nurses indirectly provide professional nursing care.
SCENARIO
The following scenario serves as the basis for your paper:
You have worked with Tomika for the past five years. Tomika shares with you that she has resigned and plans to work in an agency that installs telemonitoring equipment into the homes of those with chronic illnesses. Nurses monitor the patients using the equipment with the goal of detecting problems before patients need to be readmitted to the hospital. Tomika will be working from her own home, with occasional meetings at the agency. She would not be visiting her patients in their homes, but rather would be assessing and interacting with them via videoconferencing. She tells you that there are still job openings and encourages you to apply.
You are intrigued by this, and decide to investigate whether telenursing would be a good choice for you, too. Is telenursing in your future?
DIRECTIONS
1. You are to research (find evidence), compose, and type a scholarly paper that describes telenursing as described above, and whether it is a good fit for you. Reflect on what you have learned in this class to date about technology, privacy rights, ethical issues, interoperability, patient satisfaction, consumer education, and other topics. Your text by Hebda (2013, Chapter 25) discusses telehealth in detail. However, your focus should be from the professional nurse’s role in telenursing. Do not limit your review of the literature to only what you read in your text. Nurses in various specialties need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of telenursing as it applies to their patients. For example, when you discharge a patient from an acute care setting, will a telenursing service assist that individual with staying out of the hospital? You may need to apply critical thinking skills to development of your paper. In the conclusion of your paper, describe your current employment situation (Current- position work in the Emergency Room) , and whether a job in telenursing would, or would not, fit with your career goals and life situation once you graduate from Phoenix
2. Use Microsoft Word and APA formatting to develop your paper. Consult the Publication manual of the APA, 6th edition if you have questions, for example, margin size, font type and size (point), use of third person, and so forth. Take advantage of the writing service, Smarthinking, which is accessed by clicking on the link called the Tutor Source, found under the Course Home tab. Also, review and use the various documents in Doc Sharing related to APA.
3. The length of the paper should be 4 pages, excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit your references to key sources.
4. The paper should contain an introduction that catches the attention of the reader with interesting facts and supporting sources of evidence, which need to be mentioned as in-text citations. Keep in mind that APA guidelines state you are not to call this an “Introduction” but you should include it at the beginning of your paper. The Body should present the advantages and disadvantages of telenursing from your perspective as an employee, and the patient’s perspective as a recipient of the care nurses provide. The Conclusion and Recommendations should summarize your findings and state your position on whether you will apply for a position with the agency.
NOTE: All work must be original (in your own words) unless properly cited. This assignment will automatically be submitted through Turnitin, a plagiarism detection system.

GRADING CRITERIA
Category Points % Description
Introduction 50 25% The Introduction provides evidence of an information search including in-text citations of the sources of evidence. It catches the reader’s attention with interesting facts and supporting sources.
Body 100 50% Appropriate headings are used to delineate when the introduction ends. More than three advantages and three disadvantages are identified, discussed briefly, and supported by citations.
Conclusion and Recommendations 25 12.5% Appropriate headings are used, making clear the conclusion and recommendations based on solid evidence, privacy rights, and ethical principles, and so forth. State your current employment situation, and whether a job in telenursing could be in your future. Provide pros and cons for this decision.
Scholarly Writing and APA Format 25 12.5% • Title page, running head, and page numbers. (3 pts.)
• Introduction, body, and conclusion/recommendations sections are clearly labeled. There is a logical flow between the sections. (10 pts.)
• Grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are correct. (2 pts.)
• Citations throughout demonstrate support of student’s ideas and opinions. (5 pts.)
• Reference page includes all citations. (3 pts.)
• Evidence of spell and grammar check. (2 pts.)
Total 200 100%
A quality assignment will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.

GRADING RUBRIC

Assignment Criteria A
Outstanding or Highest Level of Performance B
Very Good or High Level of Performance C
Competent or Satisfactory Level of Performance F
Poor or Failing or Unsatisfactory Level of Performance
Introduction
50 points Evidence of information search. Catches the reader’s attention with interesting facts and supporting sources that include citations to three or more scholarly sources.
46–50 points Evidence of information search. Catches the reader’s attention with interesting facts and supporting sources that include citations to two scholarly resources.
42–45 points Evidence of information search includes only one citation to scholarly resource.
No attention catching “hook” noted.
38–41 points Little or no evidence of information search. No citations provided and/or there is no attention-catching “hook.”
0–37 points
Body
100 points More than 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages from a nursing and a patient perspective are identified and supported by citations.
92–100 points At least 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages from a nursing and a patient perspective are identified and supported by citations.
84–91 points At least 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages from a nursing and a patient perspective are identified and supported by citations.
76–83 points Only one advantage and one disadvantage from a nursing and a patient perspective is identified and supported by citations.
0–75 points
Conclusion and Recommendation
25 points Conclusion is presented based on cited evidence of how telenursing affects the patient regarding personal privacy rights, and ethical principles. Includes current employment situation, and whether a job in telenursing could be in the student’s future along with pros and cons for this decision.
23–25 points Conclusion contains cited evidence for recommendation, but may lack persuasive use of privacy rights and/or ethical principles. Includes current employment situation, and whether a job in telenursing could be in the student’s future but no rationale for the choice.
21–22 points Indicates conclusion and recommendation but does not address privacy rights and/or ethical principles. Includes whether a job in telenursing could be in the student’s future but no details of current employment or the rationale for the decision.
19–20 points Fails to include conclusion or recommendation.
0–18 points
Scholarly Writing & APA Format
25 points • Title page, running head, and page numbers. (3 pts.)
• Minimum of three sections including the Introduction, Body, and Conclusions and Recommendations. Each section has at least three sentences. (10 pts.)
• Grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are correct. (2 pts.)
• Citations throughout demonstrate support of student’s ideas and opinions. (5 pts.)
• Reference page includes all citations and no errors in format are noted. (3 pts.)
• Evidence of spell and grammar check. (2 pts.)
23–25 points • Minimal error in APA title page noted.
• Minimal errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and/or sentence structure noted.
• Citations are present but not in correct format.
• References are present, with minimal errors in format.
• Minimal red or green wavy lines within document.
21–22 points • Some errors in APA title page noted.
• Some errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and/or sentence structure noted.
• Citations are present but not in correct format.
• References are present, with some errors in format.
• Some red or green wavy lines within document.
19–20 points • Multiple errors in APA formatting.
• Multiple grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors noted.
• Citations are missing.
• References are missing or incomplete.
• No evidence of proofreading prior to submitting paper.