The confidence and competence of community nurses in using information and communications technology and in accessing clinical evidence through electronic libraries and databases

• Main Authors: Kate Pritchard, Simon de Lusignan, Tom Chan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT 2002-11-01
• Series: Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics
• Subjects: access to information; community health nursing; computer literacy; computer user training
• Online Access: http://hijournal.bcs.org/index.php/jhi/article/view/267

<strong>Introduction</strong> Little is known about the confidence and competence of community nurses in using information and communications technology. This survey set out to explore this issue. <strong>Method</strong> A questionnaire survey was sent out in the latter half of 2001 to all community nurses in a London community trust. The questionnaire also provided the opportunity for free-text comments. <strong>Results</strong> In total, 402 community nurses received questionnaires and 106 (26%) responded. Over half of the respondents felt they were not confident to use email and only just under half the Internet. Nearly a quarter lacked either the skills to use a keyboard or mouse. Less than 10% felt confident or very confident to use online sources of evidence. <strong>Conclusions</strong> Even taking into account the low response rate, a large proportion of community nurses lack the confidence and basic competencies to enable them to function effectively in a health service pledged to electronic operation by 2005.