Nursing satisfaction and attitudes with computerized software implementation: a quasi-experimental study

In late 2006, a 340-bed, not-for-profit, tertiary-care medical center implemented an electronic nursing inpatient documentation system. The computerized software replaced the paper nursing documentation system and was intended to efficiently capture inpatient healthcare information at the point of care. Preimplementation and postimplementation surveys were administered to evaluate nursing staff attitudes and satisfaction levels and their reactions to computers and the system implementation. A modified Stronge-Brodt Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computers questionnaire was used for this quasi-experimental study that included a convenience sample of nurses from seven different nursing units. Attitudes were measured using the Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computers questionnaire, and satisfaction was measured using a researcher-developed visual analog scale. Findings included decreased overall satisfaction with and a decrease in positive attitudes toward computerization from the presurvey through postsurvey. Recommendations for future studies and successful electronic medical record implementation were identified.