The evolution and evaluation of videoconferencing technology for graduate nursing education

The Integrated Services Digital Network H.323 (ISDN), which has been in use for the past 20 years often requires a dedicated telephone line and other equipment to implement. Consequently, expansion of ISDN-based videoconferencing requires infrastructure not always accessible in those areas that are most in need of technological connections. New H.323 technology using Internet Protocol H.320 (IP) connectivity can accommodate the use in a variety of videoconferencing software and fill this void as demonstrated by an experiment conducted live at the Syllabus Web '99 conference. When a faculty group were unable to secure ISDN connections to demonstrate their clinical evaluation of Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students using videoconferencing technology, an ad hoc group of computer experts, educators, instructional design specialists, and corporate sponsors collaborated to design a multipoint PC-based connection using IP connectivity. This article describes the first application of this technology, the evolution of ISDN and IP systems in nursing education and practice, and suggests appropriate future trends for their utility in nursing.