The information age: the status of technology in nursing education programs in the United States

The purpose of this research was to determine the status of technology in nursing education in the United States. The research design was a comparative descriptive survey of a stratified random sample of National League for Nursing accredited diploma, associate, baccalaureate and master programs. The instrument for data collection was developed by a panel of six experts in the area of educational technology. The survey, mailed to 347 randomly selected schools, identified four primary areas of investigation: 1) technology inventory, 2) technology applications and content, including education and clinical areas, 3) implementation plan, and 4) decision making including funding and staffing resources. Findings indicated there was a significant difference in available electronic resources among baccalaureate, associate and diploma programs. A majority of schools utilize computer applications to enhance teaching, but a very small percentage of schools addressed informatics in the curriculum. The project was funded by a grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust Fund.