The relationship between digital literacy and clinical decision-making skills among student nurses: a cross sectional...

In an increasingly technology-driven healthcare environment, digital literacy and clinical decision-making (CDM) are essential competencies for undergraduate nursing students. This study investigates the relationship between digital literacy and clinical decision-making skills among student nurses.

A cross-sectional correlational design was employed, involving a convenience sample of 201 undergraduate nursing students at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected on campus between August and September 2025 via a secure Google Forms link distributed through official university channels. Analysis included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests to examine sex differences, and Pearson's correlation and linear regression to evaluate the relationship between variables.

The nursing students possessed a high level of digital literacy (M = 51.00, SD = 8.44) and a high level of clinical decision-making ability (M = 171.30, SD = 12.60). Female students (M = 51.78) scored significantly higher in digital literacy than male students (M = 44.97), with t(199) = 3.65, p < 0.001. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the two variables (r = 0.389, p < 0.001), indicating that higher digital competency is associated with stronger clinical decision-making skills. Digital literacy was a significant predictor, accounting for approximately 15.1% (R² = 0.151) of the variance in CDM scores. Sex differences were highly significant across both domains. Female students reported significantly higher mean digital literacy scores (51.78, SD = 7.73) compared to their male counterparts (44.97, SD = 7.89; t = -3.87, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant disparity was observed in clinical decision-making, where female students scored 172.50 (SD = 12.40) compared to 162.03 (SD = 14.15) for males (t = -3.82, p < 0.001).

The findings underscore the critical role of digital literacy in clinical performance. The results suggest a need for targeted educational strategies to bridge sex-based competency gaps within nursing education. This ensures all students are prepared for a digitalized healthcare landscape.