Intensive Care Nurses' Experiences With Digital Silence and Implications for Care: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Healthcare Technology
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Digital transformation in intensive care units (ICUs) presents complex challenges.
• Advanced technology and data flow in ICUs highlight consequences of digitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand intensive care nurses' experiences with digital silence behavior.
• To explore the implications of digital silence for patient care.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological study adhering to COREQ guidelines.
• Seventeen intensive care unit nurses were purposefully selected for face-to-face interviews.
• Narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.

Main Results:

• Nurses exhibited varying awareness of digital silence, leading to emotional burdens and limited professional functionality.
• Seven types of digital silence were identified: behavioral, technical, organizational, and mixed.
• Causes, implications, and mitigation strategies for each type of digital silence were detailed.

Conclusions:

• Digital silence in ICUs results from individual factors, technical issues, and organizational problems like high workload and poor system design.
• Addressing digital silence requires educational reform, system redesign, sustained implementation, and nurse involvement.