Caring for Computers: The Hidden Work of Clinical Nurses during the Introduction of Health Information Systems in a Teaching Hospital in Taiwan

Abstract

Implementing health information systems for enhancing patient care and management occurs worldwide. Discovering how nurses, as important system end-users, experience technology-reliant clinical practice involved focus groups (n = 25) and in-depth individual interviews with nurses (n = 4) and informatics staff (n = 3) in a major Taiwanese medical center. This qualitative study explores the unintended effects of these systems on nurses’ role and clinical practice. First, nurses’ additional role caring for computer devices supporting patient care involves highly-demanding invisible effort, especially when tackling system malfunctions affecting patients with urgent conditions. Second, nurses are resourceful in developing solutions to protect patients during unexpected technical malfunctions. Third, troubleshooting using telephone technical support as the first resort is problematic. It is argued that computerization requires nurses to care for co-clients: patients and computers. Managing technical malfunctions is an unintended consequence for nurses, reflecting the hidden work required by new technology.

Perceived technology use, attitudes, and barriers among primary care nurses

“…The study demonstrated positive perceptions of the usefulness of health information technologies, with high levels of agreement for the use of health information technologies for patient administration (88.2%), analysis and planning patient care (81.7%) and communication with patients (78.5%). This is consistent with a study reporting that nurses perceived the use of health information systems for patients' data collection and documentation, allowing nurses to spend more time on patient care while improving accessibility and efficient documentation (Huang 2021). This finding, however, was also in contrast (again) with the reported low level of ability of the respondents to use health information technologies for patient administration and management.…”

Nurses' perception of their readiness using technology information to face Omicron according to the technology acceptance model

“…18 The development of information technology in the field of nursing indicates that nursing science technology is trying to keep pace with the dynamic development of IT. 19 This article attempts to analyze the perception of nurses' readiness in Indonesia regarding the use of IT in dealing with the new variant of Omicron. The objective is to measure the nurses' readiness that needs emphasizing and improvement so that they can be used as materials to improve the nursing services during COVID-19 pandemics.…”

“…Firstly, the provision of education. The role of IT in nursing education is so important 19 , from teaching materials, delivery of teaching materials, references, research tools and equipment, learning evaluation systems and other aspects of the teaching and learning process all require IT support. 19,37 In the era of globalization, nursing students' learning emphasis on IT competencies is everyone's need.…”

“…The role of IT in nursing education is so important 19 , from teaching materials, delivery of teaching materials, references, research tools and equipment, learning evaluation systems and other aspects of the teaching and learning process all require IT support. 19,37 In the era of globalization, nursing students' learning emphasis on IT competencies is everyone's need. 17 Mastery of IT will help their independence in solving solutions because, with IT assistance, nursing students can communicate with lecturers, fellow students to clients.…”