Innovation adoption: introducing I.V. patient controlled analgesia to the nursing workplace

Technology in the nursing workplace is inevitable but what is not certain is how well these technologies will be initially accepted by nurses. One technological innovation that has appeared in some Canadian hospitals is IV Patient Controlled Analgesia (IV PCA), an innovative technique for pain management, employing the use of a computer-driven pump. Few nursing studies have examined the adoption of technological innovations. This qualitative study examines the incorporation of IV PCA to the nursing workplace and job-related factors that influenced it. A five-phase integration process was identified along with factors impacting on this process. Incorporating IV PCA into nursing practice involved the nurses' judgements of the influence of this innovation on the nurses' comfort with care delivery; the patient/nurse relationship; managing the technology; and the relationship with other health care professionals and patients' family/visitors. Anxiety accompanied the integration process, peaking as IV PCA was introduced to patient care. Findings of this study suggest that actions and decisions initiated by nurse administrators and educators have the potential to influence the successful adoption of this innovation.