Empowering nurses digital skills using video consultations

Electronic healthcare platforms and digital applications for video consultations require a mix of technical skill, teaching ability, and sensitivity to different levels of digital literacy among patients and families to ensure safe, patient- and family-centered care remotely. Developing nurses’ competencies is therefore crucial to maintaining quality in digitally mediated healthcare.

To evaluate nurses’ experiences with a structured educational program on how to conduct video consultations.

As part of a complex intervention, an educational program was created through a series of workshops and included sequential components: theoretical instruction, case-based training in a simulated environment, structured reflection, and peer-supported learning in clinical practice. A qualitative process evaluation with content analysis was conducted through three longitudinal focus group interviews and supplemented by individual interviews with nurses from a Cardiology outpatient clinic.

Preliminary analysis of interview data shows that skills training helped nurses troubleshoot common technical issues with video consultations and improve their communication strategies tailored to patients’ and families’ varying levels of digital literacy. They emphasized that peer-assisted learning in clinical practice strengthened their skills by providing immediate feedback. Furthermore, nurses described a shift in motivation, showing a greater willingness to use video consultations proactively and a clearer understanding of when video could add value compared to in-person visits.

The structured educational program was crucial in enhancing nurses’ digital readiness for using video consultations.