Personal Communication Device Use by Nurses Providing In-Patient Care: Survey of Prevalence, Patterns, and Distraction Potential

McBride, Deborah; LeVasseur, Sandra A

doi:10.2196/humanfactors.5110

Cited by 20 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…As noted by the authors, the study contributes to the growing literature addressing the use of mobile technologies in the nursing workplace. Another recent and larger study of registered nurses in hospitals in the United States drew similar results, including concerns about distraction, safety, and policy as well as generational differences in the perception and use of mobile devices (McBride & LeVasseur, 2017). The study thus affirms many of the findings of previous and more recent studies on the topic (McBride & LeVasseur, 2017;Grabowsky, 2015;Planitz, Sanderson, Kipps, & Driver, 2013).…”

Section: Commentarysupporting

confidence: 79%

Nurses Need Training and Policies to Address Barriers to Use of Mobile Devices and Apps for Direct Patient Care in Hospital Settings

Wadson

2018

EBLIP

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A Review of: Giles-Smith, L., Spencer, A., Shaw, C., Porter, C., & Lobchuk, M. (2017). A study of the impact of an educational intervention on nurse attitudes and behaviours toward mobile device and application use in hospital settings. Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association/Journal de l'Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada, 38(1), 12-29. doi: 10.5596/c17-003 Abstract Objective - To describe nurses’ usage of and attitudes toward mobile devices and apps and assess the impact of an educational intervention by hospital librarians and educators Design - Descriptive, cross-sectional survey, one-group pre- and post-test, and post-intervention focus group Setting - One 251-bed community hospital and one 554-bed tertiary care hospital in Winnipeg, Canada Subjects - 348 inpatient medical and surgical nurses Methods – The study had two phases. In Phase I, respondents completed a survey of 21 fixed and open-ended questions offered online or in print to a convenience sample from the community hospital and a random sample of medical and surgical units from the tertiary hospital. The survey collected demographic data and included questions about mobile devices and apps covering current awareness of hospital policy, ownership, internet access, usage patterns, concerns, and attitudes toward their use for direct patient care. It also included information to recruit volunteers for Phase II. In Phase II, participants attended four 30-minute educational sessions facilitated by the researchers. The first session addressed the regional health authority’s policies, Personal Health Information Act, and infection control practices. Subsequent sessions covered relevance, features, and training exercises for one or more selected apps. Participants installed five free or low-cost apps, which were chosen by the librarians and nurse educators, on their mobile devices: Medscape, Lab Tests Online, Lexicomp, Twitter, and Evernote. Participants were then given a two-month period to use the apps for patient care. Afterward, they completed the same survey from Phase I and their pre- and post-intervention responses were matched for comparative analysis. Phase II concluded with a one-hour audio-recorded focus group using ten open-ended questions to gather feedback on the impact of the educational sessions. Main Results – 94 nurses completed the Phase I survey for a response rate of 27%. Although 89 respondents reported owning a mobile device, less than half used them for patient care. Just under half the respondents were unsure if they were allowed to use mobile devices at work and a similar number answered that devices were not allowed. Two-thirds of respondents were unsure whether any institutional policies existed regarding mobile device use. Of the 16 participants that volunteered for Phase II, 14 completed the post-intervention survey and 6 attended the focus group. In comparison to the Phase I survey, post-intervention survey responses showed more awareness of institutional policies and increased concern about mobile devices causing distraction. In the Phase I survey, just over half of the nurses expressed a desire to use mobile devices in patient care. Four themes emerged from the survey’s qualitative responses in Phase I: (1) policy: nurses were unsure of institutional policy or experienced either disapproval or bans on mobile device use from management; (2) barriers to use, namely cost, potential damage to or loss of devices, infection control, and lack of familiarity with technology; (3) patient perceptions, including generational differences with younger patients seen as more accepting than older patients; and (4) nurse perceptions: most valued access to information but expressed concerns about distraction, undermining of professionalism, and use of technology. Qualitative responses in the Phase II survey and focus group also revealed four themes: (1) barriers: participants did not cite loss of device or infection control as concerns as in Phase I; (2) patient acceptance and non-acceptance: education and familiarity with mobile devices were noted as positive influential factors; (3) information need, accessibility, and convenience: nurses reported needing easy-to-use apps, particularly Lexicomp, and appreciated improved access to information; and (4) nurse behaviour and attitude: participants reported more time would be needed for changes to occur in these areas. Conclusion – The study found that although most nurses own mobile devices and express strong interest in using them for patient care, there are significant barriers including lack of clarity about institutional policies and concerns about infection control, risk of damage to personal devices, costs, lack of experience with the technology, distraction, and negative patient perceptions. To address these concerns, the authors recommend that hospital librarians and educators work together to offer training and advocate for improved communication and policies regarding use of mobile devices in hospital settings. Moreover, the study affirmed the benefits of using mobile devices and apps to support evidence-based practice, for example by providing access to reliable drug information. The authors conclude that additional research is needed to inform policy and develop strategies that hospital librarians and nurse educators can use to promote the most effective application of mobile technologies for patient care.

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Section: Commentarysupporting

confidence: 79%

Nurses Need Training and Policies to Address Barriers to Use of Mobile Devices and Apps for Direct Patient Care in Hospital Settings

Wadson

2018

EBLIP

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“…Nurses used their smartphones to access information directed at patient care. The most common information sought was related to medications, including drug guides and drug references, in 14 of the 22 (64%) studies reviewed [ 23 , 26 - 31 , 33 - 35 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 43 ]. Nurses reported efficiency of access to medication information; it was easier to search medications by either the generic name or brand name using their smartphones, despite having access to a drug reference book [ 40 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nurses used their smartphones for information seeking for both patient education purposes and for their own educational needs. Out of 22 studies, 4 (18%) reported that nurses used their smartphones for patient education [ 27 , 29 , 33 , 40 ]. Flynn et al [ 27 ] found that more than 75% of the nurses preferred the use of their smartphones to access information for patient education, and this was more commonly noted among nurses between the ages of 18 and 30 years compared to nurses older than 50 years of age.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, when asked by a patient about lab values, the nurse used their phone to search Google for the answer in the moment [ 40 ]. McBride and Levasseur [ 33 ] reported that nurses also used their personal smartphones to access patient handouts and teaching materials. Nurses accessed continuing education and professional development opportunities through their smartphones [ 30 , 33 ], and Mobasheri et al [ 34 ] reported that nurses used medical apps to enhance their clinical knowledge and skills.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the increase in technological infrastructures of many health care organizations to support the practice of health care providers, many nurses are using their personal digital devices (eg, smartphones) while at work for both professional and personal purposes [ 13 , 14 ]. Yet, there is limited research available on the clinical use of personal smartphone devices by nurses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nurses’ Use of Personal Smartphone Technology in the Workplace: Scoping Review

Jong¹,

Donelle²,

Kerr³

2020

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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Background There has been an increase in the technological infrastructures of many health care organizations to support the practice of health care providers. However, many nurses are using their personal digital devices, such as smartphones, while at work for personal and professional purposes. Despite the proliferation of smartphone use in the health care setting, there is limited research on the clinical use of these devices by nurses. It is unclear as to what extent and for what reasons nurses are using their personal smartphones to support their practice. Objective This review aimed to understand the current breadth of research on nurses’ personal smartphone use in the workplace and to identify implications for research, practice, and education. Methods A scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework was conducted, and the following databases were used in the literature search: CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Embase, MEDLINE, Nursing and Allied Health Database, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Reviews. Search terms used were Nurs* AND (personal digital technology OR smartphone OR cellphone OR mobile phone OR cellular phone). Inclusion criteria included research focused on nurses’ use of their own digital technologies, reported in English, and published between January 2010 and January 2020. Exclusion criteria were if the device or app was implemented for research purposes, if it was provided by the organization, if it focused on infection control, and if it was focused on nursing students or nursing education. Results A total of 22 out of 2606 articles met the inclusion criteria. Two main themes from the thematic analyses included personal smartphone use for patient care and implications of personal smartphone use. Nurses used their smartphones to locate information about medications, procedures, diagnoses, and laboratory tests. Downloaded apps were used by nurses to locate patient care–related information. Nurses reported improved communication among health team members and used their personal devices to communicate patient information via text messaging, calling, and picture and video functions. Nurses expressed insight into personal smartphone use and challenges related to distraction, information privacy, organizational policies, and patient perception. Conclusions Nurses view personal smartphones as an efficient method to gather patient care information and to communicate with the health care team. This review highlights knowledge gaps regarding nurses’ personal device use and information safety, patient care outcomes, and communication practices. This scoping review facilitates critical reflection on patient care practices within the digital context. We infer that nurses’ use of their personal devices to communicate among the health care team may demonstrate a technological “work-around” meant to reconcile health system demands for cost-efficiency with efforts to provide quality patient care. The current breadth of research is focused on acute care, with little research focus in other practices settings. Research initiatives are needed to explore personal device use across the continuum of health care settings.

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