Information technology use in nursing and nursing education as reported by beginning nurses.

摘要

This cross-sectional study examined the beliefs of beginning nurses regarding the issue of information technology use in nursing and nursing education. In particular, this research looked at the information technology skills (1) important for registered nurses in their daily work, (2) taught in nursing education, and (3) that are important to learn during nursing education. Also examined was who should be most responsible for the teaching of information technology skills and the best environment in which to learn the skills. Lastly, the relationship between computer experience and beliefs about the importance of information technology was examined.;A descriptive and quantitative methodology using a nonexperimental design was utilized. The instrument used in this research was adapted from The Staggers Nursing Computer Experience Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, percentage of agreement, and t test.;Beginning nurses expressed that nearly half of the general information technology skills and all of the hospital information technology skills are important for registered nurses in their daily work, but that they were taught less than 25% of the general information technology skills and less than half of the hospital technology skills in their nursing education. They believed that almost half of the general information technology skills and all of the hospital information technology skills are important to learn during nursing education.;The hospital or clinical setting and the nurse educator with specialization in nursing informatics were the preferred environment and educator by most beginning nurses. The study determined that there was no relationship between computer experience and beliefs about the importance of information technology use in nursing. Even those with limited computer experience were able to acknowledge the benefit of information technology in nursing.;The findings of this study suggest that information technology is a large component of the daily work of nurses and that novice nurses believe information technology should be integrated into nursing education but that current nursing education is deficient in information technology skills. Information technology skills and knowledge need to be taught consistently throughout a nursing program to produce new nurses not only competent in providing health care but also competent in the effective use of information technology.