Baccalaureate nursing students' information technology competence--agency perspectives

Baccalaureate nurses must meet information technology (IT) competencies expectations for employment and future professional development. Unfortunately, educational programs and accrediting groups have not identified specific outcomes, and IT is not integrated formally into many undergraduate program curricula. Meanwhile, nursing students and faculty are practicing in clinical agencies undergoing an informatics and technology revolution. Adding courses and content, hardware, software, and strategies such as distance learning and simulation have been recommended to improve competency development. However, little is known regarding nursing students' experiences with IT in clinical practice. Agencies used as sites for one undergraduate program were surveyed and asked to identify barriers and facilitators to students' IT competencies attainment. Ten agency, program, and policy factors affecting the quality of the learning experience in clinical agencies were identified. Results underscored that leadership to improve collaboration and communication between nursing practice, education, and policy groups is necessary to improve clinical environments for IT learning.