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The Internet and access to evidence: how are nurses positioned?
Carole A Estabrooks1, Katherine A O'Leary, Kathryn L Ricker
1Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. carole.estabrooks@ualberta.ca
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|March 19, 2003
Summary
Nurses
Area of Science:
- Nursing Informatics
- Health Informatics
- Digital Health
Background:
- Limited literature exists on nurses' Internet usage.
- The medical community, particularly nurses, has been slow to adopt Internet technologies in the workplace.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency and location of nurses' Internet access.
- To identify the types of information nurses seek online.
- To compare nurses' Internet use with physicians and the general public, and identify barriers to adoption.
Main Methods:
- Utilized survey data from Alberta Registered Nurses in 1996 and 1998.
- Examined technology use both at work and at home.
- Incorporated additional data for comparative analysis with physicians and the public.
Main Results:
- Nurses' home Internet and email use increased and matched other groups over two years.
- Workplace Internet use among nurses remained low despite available access.
- Significant disparity observed in workplace Internet adoption compared to other professions.
Conclusions:
- Nurses prioritize interpersonal communication and personal experience over online resources.
- Effective clinical information systems must provide quick, efficient access to relevant data.
- Future efforts should focus on developing information systems tailored to nurses' specific needs.