A Theoretical Framework for Conducting Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Virtual Care & Research

Abstract

Despite rapid adoption and implementation, theoretical research considerations for virtual care (VC), defined simply as healthcare delivered using technology, are lacking across psychiatric mental health nursing (PMHN) scholarship. By adapting Hildegard Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory (IRT) and Media Richness Theory (MRT) using an intermodern and emancipatory knowing approach, a new framework was created for guiding modern PMHN VC research. Using this theoretical framework, readers can gain awareness of how the art and science of PMHN practice can be applied to VC scholarly endeavors in the modern healthcare space.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Clear integration of nursing and media theories to inform modern psychiatric mental health nursing virtual care and respective clinical vignette

• Details how the art and science of psychiatric mental health nursing can be applied to virtual care and research

• Future research applications regarding psychiatric mental health nursing virtual care are provided

• Ample review of interpersonal relations theory in psychiatric mental health nursing practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article. No funding was received for this work.