A qualitative study of new graduates’ readiness to use nursing informatics in acute care settings: clinical nurse educators’ perspectives

Background: There is an increase in demand for newly graduated nurses who are ready to use nursing informatics (NI) efficiently in technology-rich healthcare environments. However, the progress of embedding NI into curricula has been slow worldwide, and literature reports graduates are not ready to use NI tools effectively in the workplace, posing potential threats to patient safety. In the absence of National Standards for NI competencies, graduates’ NI needs on entering the workplace need to be explored.

Aim:To identify graduates’ NI needs on entering the workplace in acute care settings from the perspectives of clinical nurse educators.

Methods: A qualitative study using interpretive description with one focus group of six clinical nurse educators was conducted. Clinical nurse educators who are significantly involved in supporting graduates from their first day in the workplace were purposively recruited. The focus group was audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Graduates were found to be inadequately prepared to use NI tools on entering the workplace. Inefficient hospital systems and a ward culture that was discouraging graduates’ NI practice were identified as major barriers to the implementation of NI practice. Lack of exposure to specific hospital systems as undergraduates was also identified as a significant barrier to NI practice among graduates.

Conclusions: As well as supporting the pre-existing studies on NI skills in graduates and barriers to graduates’ NI practice, this current study identified the need for nursing schools to further integrate NI into formal curricula and increased opportunity for exposure to hospital systems as undergraduates. Further studies in multiple settings across Australia are recommended to ensure the transferability of the findings of this study.