Perception and Knowledge About Telenursing and eHealth Among Nursing University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in...

Telenursing uses digital technologies to support remote nursing care. As telehealth expands in the UAE, nursing students need adequate knowledge and skills to use these tools effectively.

This study examined nursing students' knowledge and perceptions of telenursing and their attitudes toward eHealth and technology.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 258 undergraduate nursing students using a demographic questionnaire, the Telenursing Knowledge Scale, and the Perceptions and Attitudes Towards eHealth and Technology Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Students exhibited positive perceptions (M = 3.65 ± 0.98) and positive attitudes (M = 3.67 ± 0.84) towards telenursing and eHealth and technology, respectively. The majority of the participants (78.3%) agreed with the incorporation of telenursing in nursing curriculum at the college level, and 77.9% were willing to utilize it as another type of health service in future professional practice. Many participants knew about the benefits of telenursing, such as increased staff effectiveness (70.2%) and improved communication between patients and staff (72.1%), which gave a mean advantage score of 3.56 ± 0.82. But there were issues about technical difficulties (59.3%), lack of patient interaction (59.3%), and society's vulnerability due to excessive dependence on technology (62.4%). Most significantly, 87.6% misunderstood telenursing with the help of the definition of telemedicine, indicating their poor conceptual knowledge. Internet usage was significantly related to positive perception and attitude (p ≤ 0.05) on all the outcome variables, but academic year and clinical courses had no effect.

Nursing students generally had positive views of telenursing and eHealth, but stronger practical education in digital health is needed.