Elsevier

Nurse Education Today

Volume 29, Issue 6, August 2009, Pages 612-616
Nurse Education Today

Exploring the information and communication technology competence and confidence of nursing students and their perception of its relevance to clinical practice

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.01.007Get rights and content

Summary

Aim

This paper profiles a study that explored nursing students’ information and communication technology competence and confidence. It presents selected findings that focus on students’ attitudes towards information and communication technology as an educational methodology and their perceptions of its relevance to clinical practice.

Background

Information and communication technology is integral to contemporary nursing practice. Development of these skills is important to ensure that graduates are ‘work ready’ and adequately prepared to practice in increasingly technological healthcare environments.

Methods

This was a mixed methods study. Students (n = 971) from three Australian universities were surveyed using an instrument designed specifically for the study, and 24 students participated in focus groups.

Findings

The focus group data revealed that a number of students were resistant to the use of information and communication technology as an educational methodology and lacked the requisite skills and confidence to engage successfully with this educational approach. Survey results indicated that 26 per cent of students were unsure about the relevance of information and communication technology to clinical practice and only 50 per cent felt ’very confident’ using a computer.

Conclusion

While the importance of information and communication technology to student’s learning and to their preparedness for practice has been established, it is evident that students’ motivation is influenced by their level of confidence and competence, and their understanding of the relevance of information and communication technology to their future careers.

Introduction

Information and communication technology (ICT) has the capacity to enable rapid and efficient communication of information across distances to support clinical and educational processes (McNamara, 2003). The term ICT competence refers to the ability to function with information systems, networks, software and web applications through the use of computers and other technology. In contemporary clinical practice environments ICT skills are advantageous, not only to nurses, but also to the patients for whom we care. There is good evidence that ICT skills, appropriately utilised, can have a significant impact on patient care outcomes (Staggers, Gassert & Curran, 2001). A requisite level of ICT competence allows nurses to not only access diagnostic information such as pathology results, and to document patient care, but effective application of ICT allows nurses to rapidly search for the best available research to inform their practice, and to support their clinical decisions with sound evidence.

ICT holds particular relevance for nursing students. The use of ICT in nursing education has become increasingly common since the early 1990s, partly because it enables flexible delivery and/or online modes of delivery, but also because it provides access to innovative learning resources. However, to be able to learn online, students need to be confident and competent in the use of ICT. Students’ experiences, attitudes and preferences in regards to online learning are diverse (Pargetter et al., 1998). It cannot be presumed that all students have the requisite expertise. Neither can it be presumed that all students can afford or have access to reliable computer hardware, up to date software and sufficient internet bandwidth to be able to use the online environment effectively. This can raise issues of equity when students are required to use ICT for online learning. These factors must be fully understood if ICT and online learning is to be successfully implemented as a required or optional curricula initiative.

This paper presents selected results from a project that explored nursing students’ attitudes, confidence and competence in ICT as an educational methodology, and their perceptions of its relevance to clinical practice. The results provide a rich stimulus for dialogue and debate as they challenge many previously unquestioned educational assumptions related to the use of ICT in nursing programs.

Section snippets

Background

ICT is increasingly evident in our everyday lives; 73 percent of Australian households report having access to a computer and 64 per cent report home internet access (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2007). These statistics are equal to or less than those reported in many other countries across Europe, North America and the United Kingdom (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2007). ICT utilisation is influenced by geographic location (metropolitan, regional,

Aims of the project

In order to successfully implement online learning initiatives into undergraduate programs it is essential to understand student cohorts in terms of their ICT competence, confidence, attitudes and access to resources. Pajares (1997) points out that it is not only what people know, the skills they possess or what they have accomplished that predict subsequent attainment, it is the actual beliefs that people hold about their capabilities that are powerful influences on how they perform.

Project design

A cross sectional survey using a mixed methods approach was selected for the study. All first year undergraduate nursing students from three universities (n = 1500) representative of metropolitan, regional, rural and remote contexts, were invited to complete an anonymous survey called the Information and Communication Technology questionnaires I (ICT I) during the first week of their enrolment. Students were also invited to participate in focus groups.

Qualitative findings from pilot study focus groups

As part of the pilot study, four focus groups with a total of 24 students were conducted at two of the universities (universities 1 and 2). The focus group members were diverse in terms of age, gender and ethnicity. The focus groups were taped, transcribed and the data thematically analysed.

A recurring theme during the focus groups was related to the anxiety experienced by students who were unfamiliar with ICT. For many, their anxiety created a barrier that seemed to be, at least at first,

Discussion

This study revealed a dichotomy between educational imperatives and the experiences and perceptions of many students. While a number of government reports have advocated that ICT competence is essential for sustainable education practices and the functioning of nurses in the workplace (Heath et al., 2002, Hegney et al., 2007), there are complex issues that sometimes work against the successful integration of ICT into nursing curricula. Foremost among these are students’ attitudes, confidence

Conclusion

While the importance of ICT to student’s learning and to their preparedness for practice has been established, it is evident that there is a paucity of nursing research about this important issue. Most of the literature in the discipline of nursing relates to small scale studies which limits generalisability and problems with reliability and validity exist to some degree in many of the studies reviewed. Initial results from this study indicate that students’ motivation to engage in online

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