Development of an Integrated Telehealth Primary Care and Mental Health Training Program for Nurse Practitioner Students: Review of the Literature

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are well equipped to meet the growing mental and primary health care needs of patients through telehealth. Training programs that integrate primary care and mental health care delivery through telehealth for NPs are needed in advanced practice education. A review of the literature was completed to guide the development and determine the best education practices for an integrated telehealth primary care and mental health training program for NP students. This review highlights 4 themes: confidence and competency, collaboration and consultation, applicability to practice, and technology use. •This review highlights the necessary components of an integrated telehealth primary care and mental health training program to increase nursing students’ confidence and competency in telehealth skills.•As the demand for health care delivered via telehealth continues to rise, nurse practitioners (NPs) must be ready to provide care remotely using technology.•As health care delivery continues to evolve, innovative approaches that integrate care will help reach diverse patient populations and remove barriers to care, especially for mental health care services.•Incorporating telehealth training into NP program curriculum will assist in the development of a workforce of NPs who can confidently and competently deliver care anywhere.•Incorporating telehealth peripheral training in educational interventions can support the application of skills to practice.•Clinical experiences in telehealth should be incorporated and considered to augment in-person clinical experiences or used when in-person clinical experiences are not available.