Evaluation of nurses' informatics competence in a subspecialty hospital

With the rapid growth of information technology and the expectations of health care environments,the presence of nurses with informatics competencies in the care environment to use and effectively manage health care information in health care delivery seems necessary. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the informatics competence of nurses from their perspective. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed in Khatam Al-Anbia Eye Hospital in Mashhad in the first six months of 2020. Nurses working in the hospital were the research community. To collect information, using a researcher-made questionnaire with 30 items on a 5-point scale (Not competent, somewhat competent, competent, Proficient, Expert) whose face validity with the opinion of relevant experts and its reliability by calculating Cronbach's alpha (r = 0/90) was confirmed. The questionnaire was designed electronically, and with the permission of the hospital, officials were sent via organizational email to all employed nurses (100 people). Data using descriptive statistics and statistical tests, Pearson, Spearman, and T-test were analyzed in SPSS software after collection.Results: The mean age and work experience of nurses participating in the study were 38/2± 6/67, and 13/7± 6/9 years, respectively. The total score of nurses' informatics competencies was 1/58 (39/5% of the score) and the informatics competence of them was moderate. Nurses' highest competence was related to using the Word program,with an average score of 2/34 (58/5%). The lowest competence was related to basic troubleshooting in software programs, with an average score of 0/52 (13%). Pearson correlation coefficient showed that the mean total score of nurses' informatics competencies had no significant relationship with their age and work experience (P> 0/05). Spearman correlation coefficient also showed that the mean total score of nurses' informatics competencies had a significant relationship with their education level (r = 0/284 and P = 0/024). The mean total score of male nurses' informatics competencies was 2/01 ±0/8, and the mean total score of female nurses' informatics competencies was 1/5 ± 0/72. Independent t-test showed a significant difference between informatics competence of male and female nurses (P = 0/024).Conclusion: Informatics competence of nurses was at a moderate level. Therefore, it is recommended that the importance of IT skills for the optimal management of health care information and, consequently, provide adequate care to the patient and ultimately improve the individual's health for nurses and other relevant authorities be expressed. It is also recommended that information technology skills be taught before entering the workplace or while on duty.

Keywords:

Informatics , Evaluation , Hospital , Nursing , Competence