ODU expands nursing program with telehealth
Students learning to use technology to connect with rural patients “They give us that practical experience so when we start our jobs we know what we are doing.”
VIRGINIA BEACH — When medical student Johnathan Taylor studied abroad in Ireland, he used technology that patients there compared to “Star Wars.”
He was performing retinal exams and sending the information back to the United States, where doctors here determined whether the patients needed to be seen by optometrists or ophthalmologists. Called telehealth, the emerging technology holds promise for remote areas where patients don’t have easy ac- cess to specialists.
And at Old Dominion University, where Taylor is working on his doctorate of nursing practice, it’s now a program of study for undergraduate students who want to enter the field.
“They give us that practical experience so when we start our jobs we know what we are doing,” Taylor said.
On Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam and other elected officials celebrated the expansion of ODU’s nursing school and launched a new Center for Telehealth Education and Research at its higher education center in Virginia Beach. Northam called telehealth “the future.”
It’s easy to take medical access for granted in metropolitan areas, but “if we’re going to lift up all of Virginia, we’ve got to take care of rural Virginia.” This can help, he said.
Telehealth already has been a part of ODU’s graduate school, but with the expansion and founding of the center, undergraduate students can now participate.
It’s the first of three phases planned for expanding medical education at ODU.
On Monday, the center hosted a simulation for 80 students from area colleges. It’s repeated several times over the course of the semester.
The students rotated through different stations, learning about telehealth. At one, they learned how remote patients can use a tablet and blood pressure cuff, heart monitor and scale. Another station demonstrated tools that can be taken to a disaster site to send readings from patients’ skin and ears to providers over the internet. An EVMS professor showed how providers can use apps on their smartphones with
— ODU medical student Johnathan Taylor patients.
Part of the students’ training concerns the etiquette of talking to patients via a screen. It’s not the same as video chatting with a friend or family member — there are privacy and ethical issues to consider. That’s Tina Gustin’s expertise.
Doctors can still express empathy, even though they are not right there with the patient, said Gustin, an assistant professor in the doctor of nursing practice program. It’s not as intuitive as you’d think.
The need for such skills in telehealth is part of why ODU is ex- panding its program, said Carolyn Rutledge, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at ODU. Right now, people entering the field typically get on-the-job training by vendors that isn’t as specific as it needs to be.
“So by being able to provide educational opportunities, we can help direct them in ways that they can bring the learning to reality when they go out into practice,” she said. “They are our future leaders.” Sidersky can be reached by phone at 757-222-5117.