Graduating nurses' self-evaluation of information technology competencies.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Informatics
• Information Technology Skills

Background:

• Graduating baccalaureate nurses reported moderate information technology (IT) skills.
• Students expressed confidence in basic IT skills like internet use and word processing.
• Areas needing development included care documentation, planning, informatics knowledge, and data entry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the information technology skills of graduating baccalaureate nurses.
• To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in nursing informatics competencies.
• To understand student needs for effective informatics education and skill development.

Main Methods:

• A standardized instrument was used to collect self-reported data from graduating nurses.
• Quantitative assessment of perceived skills in various IT and informatics domains.
• Analysis of student preferences for informatics education and resources.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported moderate overall IT skills, with high confidence in internet, word processing, and systems operations.
• Lowest self-rated skills were in care documentation, planning, informatics knowledge, and data entry.
• Students prioritized access to modern informatics systems, realistic simulations, and faculty support.

Conclusions:

• Nursing students are moving towards integrating health information literacy into practice.
• Nursing programs and stakeholders must update informatics education and evaluation to meet evolving needs.
• There is a need for improved access to technology-rich environments and resources to support skills development.