RECRUITMENT GUIDE
Telehealth Nurse
A telehealth nurse is responsible for delivering medical advice and conducting consultations with the assistance of technology to patients in remote locations. They may utilise the use of telephones and webcams, to assist patients who may be experiencing a medical issue, or are wanting to ask a question.
The goal of a telehealth nurse is to reduce the amount of patients coming into the Emergency Department of hospitals or clinics. Telehealth nurses allow patients to access the care that they need in an efficient way, that is more cost effective and allows patients to avoid the risk of travelling far distances to get to a hospital unnecessarily.
Although there is medical care that can not be administered by a telehealth nurse, such as when it comes to a patient with a broken limb or someone who is experiencing a heart attack, however a telehealth nurse can help patients to answer some of their questions and provide consultations and check ups from the comfort of their own home. This helps to drive down the traffic entering the Emergency Department and therefore help hospital staff to have more time to attend to more urgent patients.
Day-to-day tasks of this role:
- Complete pre and post surgical operation checks on patients.
- Provide education to patients and parents/caregivers.
- Help clients navigate the healthcare system, and suggest specialists.
- Help patients manage chronic conditions such as diabetes.
- Provide on the phone/video chat consultations.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for a Telehealth Nurse
In order to become a telehealth nurse, a candidate will first need to obtain a nursing degree (Bachelor of Nursing), that qualifies them as a registered nurse. They will also need to gain a nursing license, and show that they are competent using the relevant technology platforms. There are some common skills required for this position.
It is imperative that a telehealth nurse has excellent communication skills. They must be able to clearly articulate medical jargon to people with no medical knowledge, and do so over the phone. They must have the ability to explain health-related messaging in a clear, concise, and most importantly, calm manner, and provide detailed and well-written medical notes.
It is essential that telehealth nurses have extensive clinical knowledge. They must clearly demonstrate high levels of medical knowledge on a range of health issues and medications, and be able to ask appropriate questions to understand presenting health issues without seeing the patient in person. They must also have experience as a registered nurse, and be able to draw on past experiences to help patients that they cannot be with physically.
A telehealth nurse must also be extremely empathetic and ethical. They must understand and abide by laws of ethics, and understand cultural and religious differences in presentation and explanation of health issues. They must also demonstrate a caring nature with all patients, and be non-judgemental when working with them to understand and solve their medical issues.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Telehealth Nurse Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
As this role can be very confronting, and mentally and emotionally demanding, it is important to outline the kinds of situations the applicant may be faced with, as well as what is expected of them in these situations on the application. This may include the duties they may have with specific clients, their daily tasks and hours, and protocol in emergency and high stress situations.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Clinical Knowledge
Question Type: Document
You receive a call from a concerned person whose friend has drunk too much alcohol. What would be the first question you would ask to assess the severity of the situation? Please answer in the document below.
Question 2
Ethical Knowledge/Empathy
Question Type: Text
Tell me about a situation when a patient has refused consent to treatment. How did you manage this?
Question 3
Communication
Question Type: Video
How would you obtain all relevant information from a patient who was in distress?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for Telehealth Nurse
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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