Note: The c​​ontent on this page is the same for LPNs, NPs, RNs, and RPNs.​​ Some of the resources are designation specific.
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​Virtual care has increased in recent years due to advances in technology and the need for remote health-care services. Many health-care professionals have started using virtual care to remotely deliver care to clients. Nurses meet all the BCCNM standards in virtual care settings that apply in face-to-face settings. 

What will I learn?​​

• Who can provide virtual care in B.C.
  

• What virtual care is and what your responsibilities are when providing it
  

​​Standards

• Scope of practic​​e standards
• Professional standards
• Practice standards

• Use of title practice standard​​

​​​​Note: BCCNM doesn't have a specific standard for virtual care. Your professional responsibilities and accountabilities remain the same, regardless of the method of care delivery.

What is virt​​ual care?

Virtual care refers to the delivery of health services to clients using various modes of technology such as:

• Phone calls
• Email
• Video or audio conferencing

• Instant mess​aging 

When providing virtual care, always:

• Act in the best interests of your clients
• Use your clinical judgment
• Follow BCCNM standards and workplace policies

• Decide whethe​​r virtual or i​​n-person care best meets client needs

A virtual care assessment does not replace the need for in-person assessment when required.

​Key consi​​d​​erations in virtual practice

Before and during the provision of virtual care, consider:

• Legal and professional requirements: Does the technology meet legal and professional req​​uirements?

• Privacy and record retention: Can yo​​u meet privacy and record retention/collection policies? (Some platforms may not retain records long enough).

• Technology skills: Are you proficie​​nt with the tools being used?

• Communication: Do you h​ave the necessary communication and interpersonal skills?

• Adaptability: Are you prepared to adap​t as virtual care evolves?

 ​​Virtual care for B.C. residents

• A B.C. resident is someone who primarily lives in British Columbia, even if temporarily out of the province. A person who lives in another province or country and visits B.C. is not a B.C. resident. For example​​, a person who lives primarily in Ontario and visits B.C. is not considered a B.C. resident for health-care purposes.

• Nurses registered outside  B.C. must obtain practising registration with BCCNM before providing virtual or in-person care to B.C. residents. For example, an Ontario nurse who works for an online health​​-care provider must register with BCCNM before they provide virtual care to a B.C. resident.

• You may​ only act with client-specific orders (virtual or in-person) from a regulated health-care provider licensed in B.C. For example, you can't act with an order from a doctor who is licensed in Alberta.

 Virtual care for non-B.C. re​​sidents

• Nurses registered with BCCNM may provide virtual care to clients outside B.C. if they meet the requirements of the regulatory body in the client's jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction may be different so be su​​re to check the requirements before you provide care.

Always check the following before providing care in another jurisdiction:

• Licensing requirements

• Applicable standards and scope of practice. There is variation in nursing scopes of practice throughout Canada.

• Local laws. Some laws governing privacy or consent can vary by jurisdiction.

• Required knowledge, skills, and competences

• Liability protection coverage. Contact your professional liabi​lity protection provider before providing care across jurisdictions, especially outside of Canada.

If a complaint is lodged in a jurisdiction where the nurse provided virtual care, the nurse may be held accountable to that jurisdiction's conduct review processes.

​Case s​​​​cenarios ​

Scenario One: Care for a B.C. resident out of province

Robert, a B.C. nurse, works in a cardiac rehab clinic. He conducts many client appointments virtually. His client, Rita, has an appointment scheduled for when she is away visiting family in Nova Scotia. Can Robert provide care to Rita?

Yes. Rita lives in B.C. and is considered a B.C. resident, even though she isn't physically present in B.C. when Robert provides care. Robert contacts Nova Scotia's nursing regulator to find out if there are any conditions he needs to meet before providing care for Rita.

Scenario Two: Out-of-province nurse providing care to B.C. residents

Libby, an Alberta NP, finds the clinic where she works has more B.C. people seeking virtual and in-person care.  She is not surprised, as she lives close to the border between Alberta and B.C.  Can Libby provide care for B.C. residents?

Libby must first register with BCCNM before providing care to any B.C. resident. She contacts BCCNM and gains a practising registration before offering her services to people from B.C.

Scenario Three: Midwife providing virtual care while out of province

Billie, a B.C. midwife, is at a conference in Toronto. She is also on-call for the clinic she works for. Billie gets a call from Sasha, one of the clinic's clients, and sets up a virtual appointment. Can Billie provide virtual care to Sasha while she is in Toronto?

Billie is a B.C. midwife who is providing care to a B.C. client. Even though she isn't physically in B.C., she is authorized by BCCNM to provide care to B.C. residents. Billie also checks with the College of Midwives of Ontario to see if there are any restrictions or requirements she must meet while practising there. ​

​​​Need help or support?​

For further guidance on understanding and applying the standards of practice, contact our team by completing the Standards Support intake form.​