Integrating nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education in Africa: A scoping review

Abstract

Background Information and communication technologies have become omnipresent in healthcare systems globally, and since nurses comprise the majority of the health sector workforce, they are expected to be adequately skilled to work in a technology‐mediated environment. Integrating nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education is a cornerstone to nursing education and practice in Africa. Aim This scoping review aimed to evidence the integration of nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education in Africa. Methods A scoping review of the literature used electronic databases including CINAHL Plus databases; EmCare; MEDLINE Ovid; Scopus; ERIC ProQuest; Web of Science; Google; and Google Scholar to locate papers specific to the African context. From a total of 8723 articles, 19 were selected for critique and synthesis. Results Selected studies indicated that nursing students used several information and communication technologies tools primarily for academic purposes, and rarely for clinical practice. In Africa, the challenges for teaching informatics in nursing education included: limited information and communication technologies skills among faculty and students; poor teaching strategies; and a lack of standardization of nursing informatics competencies. Successful integration of nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education in African countries depends on restructuring nursing informatics content and teaching strategies, capacity building of the faculty and students in information and communication technologies, political commitment, and collaborative partnership. Conclusion Nursing informatics is scarce in undergraduate nursing education in Africa due to the implementation and adoption challenges. Responding to these challenges requires a multi‐sectoral approach in the revision of undergraduate nursing curricula. Implication for nursing education, practice, policy and research This study highlights the importance of nursing informatics in undergraduate nursing education, with its challenges and success. Nursing education policies should support the development of well‐standardized nursing informatics content and appropriate teaching strategies to deliver it. Further research is needed to establish which aspects of nursing informatics are integrated into undergraduate nursing education and nursing practice, implementation process, challenges and possible solutions. Collaborative partnerships are vital to developing nursing informatics policies to better prepare graduate nurses for the African healthcare workforce in the digital era.

First-year nursing students’ digital literacy: A cross-sectional study

“…[23] At the tertiary education level, ICT should also not be taught in isolation but integrated into the curriculum to ensure students can apply it for subject-specific purposes. [25][26][27] Due to limited access to digital tools at the secondary school level in South Africa, [28,29] it is essential to assess students' computer skills, access, and use of the internet and digital devices at the beginning of tertiary education to ascertain their abilities to use technology tools and applications for academic purposes. Consequently, design strategies that could uplift their competencies and address challenges.…”

Nursing informatics in undergraduate nursing education in Australia before COVID-19: A scoping review

“…Restrictions and rules hindered students’ use of informatics tools in the clinical environment to access hospitals’ health systems. Having clearly articulated NI competencies, policy and guidelines may address the lack of skills and awareness of NI among the workforce ( Harerimana et al, 2020 ; Honey & Procter, 2017 ).…”

“…Due to multiple educational systems across the globe, choosing one exemplar country with a strong educational system and a track record in digital health was crucial for this scoping review to enable learning best practice approaches. This scoping review provides a foundation for a broader PhD cross case analysis study, investigating how NI is embedded into undergraduate nursing education in low and high-income regions, for which the authors also conducted a similar scoping review in Africa ( Harerimana et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In those countries, schools of nursing are required to provide evidence that NI has been included in their curricula in order to obtain accreditation of the nursing programme ( Borycki & Foster, 2014 ; Cummings et al, 2016 ). However, in developing countries such as those from Africa, nursing informatics is scarce in undergraduate nursing education due to the implementation and adoption challenges ( Harerimana, Wicking, Biedermann, & Yates, 2020 ).…”

Ensino Superior Em Enfermagem Em Tempos De Pandemia Da Covid-19

“…O seu principal objetivo é promover o compartilhamento de informações através de computadores, Internet e redes sociais para desencadear alterações significantes na aprendizagem ativa, pois há maior participação e colaboração entre os pares (ALVES et al, 2020;FRANZOI et al, 2018). Na enfermagem, tendem a oferecer estratégias inovadoras de ensino-aprendizagem (SINGH; MASANGO, 2020), além de incitar a prática baseada em evidências (HARERIMANA et al, 2020).…”