Scope and Standards of Practice for Professional Telehealth Nursing

The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), the specialty nursing organization for nurses practicing in ambulatory care settings, is responsible for establishing and maintaining the standards for ambulatory care nursing practice. In 2010 AAACN published AAACN Scope and Standards of Practice for Professional Ambulatory Care Nursing. Previously, AAACN Telehealth Standards were published in 2007.This publication will provide additional scope and practice guidance specific to the ambulatory subspecialty of Telehealth. Telehealth is defined as “the delivery, management, and coordination of care and services provided via telecommunications technology within the domain of nursing” (AAACN, 2009, p. 5). The standards promote effective clinical and administrative management of the increasingly complex telehealth nursing roles and responsibilities in a changing health care environment.