Mobile technology in nursing education: where do we go from here? A review of the literature

The International Council of Nurses (ICN), Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (STTI), and many National Nurses Associations (NNAs), have called for the integration of information technology into nursing curriculums to prepare nursing students for the current practice environment which requires access to large amounts of information to provide evidence-based patient care. Nurse educators have begun to address the integration of technology in nursing curriculum, but are the available tools, in particular, mobile devices loaded with informational applications, being maximized? Literature Review Aims The aims of this literature review are to 1) explore the literature written on the use of mobile technology in nursing education; 2) methodically discuss the benefits and concerns involved in using mobile technology in nursing education; and 3) consider strategies for enhancing the use of mobile technology in nursing education. Review Methods A search was conducted on the use of mobile technology in nursing programs in Academic Search Complete, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline with Full Text, and Medline Journals. Seventeen studies, published within the last five years in peer-reviewed journals regarding the mobile technology in nursing programs were identified. Findings Although many nursing programs have implemented the use of mobile technology in the clinical, classroom, and laboratory settings, more work needs to be done to overcome the concerns related to: cost, lack of IT support, lack of faculty acceptance and role-modeling, lack of structured assignments and/or activities designed to encourage the implementation of mobile devices; and constraints on their use in clinical settings.

While much has been done to incorporate the use of mobile technology in nursing curriculum, nurse educators are encouraged to develop strategies to overcome the concerns noted. Possible strategies to overcome the concerns are discussed herein.