Nursing care by telehealth: what is the influence of distance on communication?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: Evaluate the perception of nurses regarding interpersonal communication while providing care via telehealth. Method: Qualitative research realized with seven nurses working in telehealth in Brazil, the sample was determined by data saturation. A questionnaire with open questions was applied and then content analysis of the dialogues was conducted, focusing on thematic analysis. Results: Four categories emerged from the dialogues: Understanding the importance of communication; the interpersonal relationship interfering with communication; Communicating via technology; and Learning the communication process. Final considerations: The perception of nurses working in telehealth in Brazil is that technology has facilitated their professional practice; however, in relation to the communication process, they believe it is harder to communicate by telehealth, mainly due to difficulty in perceiving nonverbal signals. To overcome these difficulties, they agreed that interpersonal communication is a skill that must be acquired during their professional training.