Stages of Adoption Concern and Technology Acceptance in a Critical Care Nursing Unit

The aim of this study is to examine the stages of concern (self, task, and impact) and usability (trust, perceived usefulness, and ease of use) shifts experienced by nurses adopting new technology.

Patient care processes in critical care units can be disrupted with the incorporation of information technology. New users of technology typically transition through stages of concern and experience shifts in acceptance during assimilation.

Critical care nurses (N = 41) were surveyed twice: (1) pre, immediately after training, and (2) post, 3 months after implementation of technology.

From presurvey to postsurvey, self-concerns decreased 14%, whereas impact concerns increased 22%. Furthermore, there was a 30% increase in trust and a 17% increase in perceived usefulness, even with a 27% decrease in ease of use.

Adoption of new technology requires critical care nurses to adapt current practices, which may improve trust and perceived usefulness yet decrease perceptions of ease of use.