Disparate Digital Literacy Levels of Nursing Manager and Staff, Specifically in Nursing Informatics Competencies and Their Causes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose The digitalization of healthcare is developing quickly. Every care provider needs to be up-to-date on this technology. The purpose of this research was to identify the digital literacy of nursing staff and nurse managers. Methods A cross-sectional study assessed nurses’ digital literacy, specifically with regard to nursing informatics competencies in hospitals, primary healthcare, and clinics. The study sample included 100 nurses and 83 nurse managers. Researchers applied a modified questionnaire on nurses’ informatics competencies from TIGER Nursing Informatics, with a validity range of 0.497–0.897 and a reliability value of 0.975. Results Participants showed an acceptable level of computer literacy, although their scores were below 80%. Their scores were unrelated to workplace, duration and type of technology used, or gender. Nursing informatics competencies correlated significantly with age and work experience ( p = 0.001). Age correlated negatively with technical computer skills but positively with competence in the implementation of healthcare. There was a positive link with a nurse’s position and education level, indicating that nurses with more education acquire higher levels of informatics competencies than those with less education. Additionally, those in higher positions tended to possess more advanced digital competence. Conclusion Nurse managers play a significant role in training nursing staff members to enhance their informatics competencies. This study’s findings underscore the need to raise staff members’ informatics competencies by providing additional training.