How to Become a Telehealth Nurse: 5 Steps
Curious about how to become a telehealth nurse? These clinicians provide nursing guidance remotely to patients across a range of specialties. It’s a great path for nurses who have experience in a specialty and can work relatively independently. Learn more about the pros and cons of this career path and how to get into telehealth nursing.
As remote care has expanded, nurses are at the forefront of remote patient monitoring, teletriage, and other telemedicine programs. Services like these help reduce emergency department visits and improve care efficiency. Remote specialty services, such as psychiatric care, improve access, especially in rural communities.
What Do Telehealth Nurses Do?
A telehealth nurse provides care to patients remotely using technology like video calls, phone consultations, and secure messaging systems. They may work in a traditional clinic setting or from a home office, and go by titles including advice nurse and remote triage nurse.
Learn more about the potential responsibilities of a virtual nurse:
- Remote patient assessments: Gathering health histories, reviewing symptoms, and identifying urgent concerns via video or phone.
- Triage and care coordination: Using nursing judgment and critical thinking to determine the next appropriate level of care. This may include follow-up appointments and referrals to other care providers.
- Patient education: Teaching patients how to manage chronic conditions, medications, symptoms, and treatments at home.
- Monitoring health data: Reviewing information from remote monitoring tools like blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors, or wearable devices.
- Emotional support: Offering reassurance, empathy, and guidance to patients who may feel isolated or anxious about their health.
- Documentation: Recording patient encounters in electronic health records (EHRs) and communicating with the broader care team.
- Collaborating: Coordinating with physicians, specialists, pharmacists, and other nurses to ensure continuity of care.
- Using telehealth technology: Navigating various software systems and troubleshooting technical issues to maintain smooth virtual visits.
Depending on the role, telehealth nurses may specialize in a certain illness or patient population. For example, they may see young patients and their families as a remote pediatric nurse, or specialize in blood-glucose management as a diabetes nurse educator. No matter the specialty, this role requires technological savviness, independence, and communication.
The Pros and Cons of Being a Telemedicine Nurse
Before learning how to become a telehealth nurse, you might want to consider whether your personality and preferences align with this role. Check out the potential benefits and drawbacks in our table:
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How to Become a Certified Telehealth Nurse
Ready to get started in this career path? If you don’t have a nursing license, it takes at least a year to acquire a license as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and between two and four years to become a registered nurse (RN). Most telehealth roles require experience, so plan on working in an in-person role for a few years after graduation.
Step 1: Attend Nursing School
Both LPNs and RNs can work in telehealth, and while their scopes of practice differ, both are essential care providers. The fastest way to become a nurse is to pursue an LPN diploma, which takes about a year and sometimes even less. The downside of this track is that LPNs earn less on average than RNs, but you can always attend a bridge program later on.
If you choose to pursue an RN license, there are two potential degree tracks — a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Either can qualify you for a career in telehealth nursing, but the BSN may be a better choice if you want to work in more specialized areas or take on leadership responsibilities.
Step 2: Earn Your Nursing License
Once you graduate from nursing school, you’ll need to complete the licensure process in your state before you begin practicing. This typically includes submitting a background check, proof of your education, an application fee, and other items.
Once you’re approved, you’ll be able to schedule your exam — the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). LPN candidates will take the NCLEX-PN, while RN candidates take the NCLEX-RN. Depending on your state, there may be additional requirements once you pass, while in others, a passing score grants you your nursing license.
Step 3: Gain Experience
Next, it’s time to enter the nursing profession as a new graduate nurse. Many new nurses begin their careers in acute care nurse residency programs, which offer additional training and supervision in the first year. Specialties that tend to offer residencies include:
Want help finding a role? Search for new grad LPN jobs and new grad RN jobs.
Step 4: Begin Your First Telehealth Nursing Role
Once you’ve gained experience, it’s time to start applying for jobs. As you’re pursuing roles, be sure to update your nursing resume so that it fits the opportunity you’re applying for. Position the skills you gained in your previous jobs as a benefit in a new workplace, and don’t forget to write a cover letter that sets you apart.
Find the latest telehealth nursing jobs.
Step 5 (Optional): Earn Telehealth Nursing Certification
While specialty certifications are generally not a job requirement, they can help advance your authority and even help you earn more in certain workplaces. There are a few different certifications for telehealth clinicians:
- Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification (AMB-BC): Offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, this credential includes telehealth nursing under the umbrella of ambulatory care.
- Certified Professional by the American Heart Association, Telehealth (CPAHA): While this credential is not nursing-specific, it doesn’t require experience other than currently working in telehealth.
How Much Do Telehealth Nurses Make?
On average, telehealth nurses earn $97,000 per year. You can position yourself to earn more by pursuing certifications, gaining more experience, and taking on more responsibilities. One of the biggest influences on nursing income is location. If you’re open to a move, check out nursing roles in the states with the highest average RN income:
We Help Nurses Find Great Opportunities
Now that you know how to become a telehealth nurse, you might be curious about open nursing roles in your area. Did you know we can send you tailored lists of jobs that fit your needs? Learn more about our nursing job notifications.