Need for Information and Communication Technology during COVID-19: An Exploratory Study Using Nurses' Activity...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Informatics
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased nurse burnout.
• Healthcare systems faced potential collapse due to workforce strain.
• Information and communication technology (ICT) presents a potential solution for healthcare support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific areas where ICT can support nursing work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To analyze the evolving tasks and challenges faced by nurses in COVID-19 wards.
• To explore ICT applications for improving healthcare delivery and communication.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective exploratory descriptive study design.
• Analysis of qualitative data from activity diaries of seven nurses.
• Focus on nurses working in COVID-19 wards or intensive care units.

Main Results:

• Nursing work during COVID-19 included added, changed, and reduced tasks.
• Nurses experienced communication difficulties with colleagues and patients.
• ICT solutions like video-conferencing and robots could improve patient monitoring and communication efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Altered work tasks contributed to nurse exhaustion and impacted care quality.
• ICT can minimize time spent in isolation rooms, reducing infection risk.
• ICT can enhance communication among patients, families, and healthcare professionals.