Q. What are my accountabilities when providing virtual care to unfamiliar clients during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A. COVID-19 is impacting the health care system. As the pandemic continues, there will be increased pressure on those working in frontlines to provide care in unusual situations and innovative ways. NSCN expects all nurses, including nurse practitioners (NPs), to practice within the scope of their practice and expertise and act in the best interest of their clients recognizing that these are extraordinary times.
The adoption of virtual or telemedicine care will be required in the days and weeks ahead. NSCN supports NPs providing care to clients, whether clients are known or new to the NP, through technology.
NSCN has developed Telenursing Guidelines because telenursing or virtual care changes how professional nursing services are delivered. While it may change how you conduct your nursing practice, it does not change the requirement to meet your standards.
The Nurse Practitioner Standards of Practice are broad and flexible which enables you to meet them even though how you meet them may change by the use of technology.
While not exhaustive, please consider the following when providing service virtually or through technology:
- Develop the client’s plan based on your virtual assessment and evaluation of their history and current health care needs. Ask the client enough questions to ensure that you have relevant data to guide your decisions.
- Collaborate with your physician colleagues and other members of the team as needed. This may be required more frequently than usual. Collaboration is especially important when:
- providing care to new clients to help relieve pressures in the health system (e.g. clients referred from 811, with chronic health needs or those without a primary care provider in the community)
- usual data is not available such as recent lab or diagnostic test results because clients cannot access the health system
- needs of the client are beyond your individual scope of practice, area of expertise or competence.
- Confirm your employer expectations of your role in this care model. Follow employer processes.
All nurses are accountable for their own actions at all times. They are only accountable for the things they know or reasonably should have known. They are expected to make care decisions based on the data available to them at the time, and in the context in which it is provided.
