Nursing “Power Rangers” 2.0 – The Synergistic Effect of Telehealth Oncology Nursing Roles

Telehealth (TH) is impacting society at a micro and macro level. Oncology care via TH has shown to increase engagement for older adults, underrepresented minorities, and patients with lower socioeconomic status, and low health literacy. This healthcare transformation thrives because of diverse TH oncology roles. These roles include support line nurses, nurse writers, nurse navigators, nurse informaticists, and nursing leadership. Just like the Power Rangers, whose superhuman abilities and team efforts were used to benefit the greater good, the “super telehealth nurses” discussed here work together by bridging cancer knowledge gaps. These roles exist within an innovative company that delivers the knowledge of expert oncology nurses and National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) through second opinion oncology physician consults.

The first courageous Power Ranger is the cancer telephonic support nurse, who focuses on the educational and emotional needs of members and their family, providing evidence-based oncology resources about topics like cancer diagnosis or treatment. Next, the oncology nurse writer facilitates an expert second-opinion provider review by reviewing relevant medical records and curating a clinical summary. It is presented to oncologists at an NCI-designated CCC, who then provides their second opinion regarding their treatment recommendations. The onsite nurse navigator coordinates a comprehensive in-person evaluation with an expert(s) at an NCI-designated CCC. Empowering the member to make the best decisions regarding treatment and supportive services, the nurse navigator meets the member virtually to assess health history and recommend strategies on how to maximize their second opinion visit with the support of an oncologist.

The nurse informaticist’s (NI) powers lie in the domain of translation and visualization. As suggested in a case study, an NI’s role can be "operationalized to support the translation of evidenced-based digital and technological solutions to clinical practice," as evidenced by the NI using their ability to connect the dots between data and workflows, collaborating with business intelligence (BI), information technology (IT), and clinical operations users. NIs ensure the quality of the company’s data and metrics and optimize the electronic documentation system. NIs increase efficiency by mapping providers with corresponding specialty code, so cases are routed to the appropriate specialty physicians. The quantitative feedback the NI provides substantiates the services provided by the other power rangers on the team.

The NI is overseen by the last Power Ranger on the team – the nurse manager, whose leadership role supports the remote workforce and designs, tests, implements, and optimizes informatics systems.
The synergism of these telehealth oncology roles produces outcomes underlying TH nurses’ missions, “show[ing] improved patient knowledge of how to manage side effects and improved patient satisfaction.” At a macro level, organizations that utilize these roles promote TH and the nursing informaticist mission to improve population health. Sparking the conversation around these evolving roles, this discussion highlights the need for more evidenced-based studies and data to demonstrate the value of telehealth oncology nurse roles to effect positive health outcomes while inspiring and growing the next generation of Nursing Power Rangers 3.0.