Abstract
Using new social movement (NSM) theory as an analytic framework, this thesis examined nurses’ perceptions of how telehealth, used as a vehicle of care delivery, influenced nurses’ professional identity and the overall quality of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare work environments. A convenience sample and qualitative methodologies were implemented; interviews and surveys were conducted on U.S. nurses who use telehealth in their daily work tasks. The findings were then compared to secondary research consisting of literature reviews regarding nurse professional identity in traditional, in - person clinical settings. This study indicated that the participants not only accepted telehealth as an adequate method of care delivery, but also telehealth impacted nurses’ professional, public, and personal social image. There are a number of limitations to this study, specifically regarding the size of the sample. The number of participants in the study was quite small (n=6), which prevents the generalizability of the findings. However, it is possible that telehealth can act as a vehicle of positive or, at times, negative change regarding the professional, public, and personal image of nurses in health care institutions and therefore affect nurses’ professional identity as well as the interprofessional collaborative culture in health care. More quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation strategies are recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the overall perspective of nurses who use telehealth throughout daily responsibilities.