Barriers to Integrating Information Technology Content in Doctor of Nursing Practice Curricula

Nursing Faculty Informatics Competencies

It is essential that nurses can use technology and accurately record and interpret clinical data to deliver efficient and effective patient care. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of nursing faculty informatics competencies and to learn about barriers faculty find in teaching informatics. Using a cross-sectional design, faculty were surveyed about their knowledge and comfort in teaching informatics using the Self-Assessment of Informatics Competency Scale for Health Professionals instrument. The aggregate mean (SD) score of the Self-Assessment of Informatics Competency Scale for Health Professionals basic knowledge and skills competency subscale and role subscale were was 3.36 (0.437) and 3.35 (0.711), respectively, which showed overall proficiency with these competencies. The aggregate mean (SD) for the applied computer skills competency was 2.25 (0.842), which showed less proficiency in higher-level informatics skills. Reported barriers to integrating informatics into courses were technology issues (17.2%), lack of knowledge (15.5%), and a lack of resources (12.1%). Some faculty reported that the concept of informatics was confusing (3.5%) and students were not engaged in the concepts (3.5%). Faculty with informatics competence can help students advance the use of technology and informatics at the bedside to improve patient care.

Integration of Informatics Content in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education: An Updated Status Report

BACKGROUND

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing identified informatics and health care technology as an essential component of baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral education, but schools still struggle to effectively deliver this core knowledge.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to provide an update of the 2013 status report on the integration of informatics in nursing education.

METHOD

The top twenty-five 2018 US News & World Report Best Online Nursing Programs were reviewed for courses with technology, computers, informatics, statistics, or research in the title.

FINDINGS

Sixty-seven percent of the schools with master's programs and more than 80% of the DNP programs included at least 1 informatics course. Schools with online BSN courses had about the same number of programs with informatics courses as the 2013 report.

CONCLUSION

While there was some improvement in the number of informatics courses in the programs reviewed, faculty need support to overcome barriers to teaching informatics.

Factors Influencing Technology Integration in the Curriculum for Taiwanese Health Profession Educators: A Mixed-Methods Study

In this study, we explored the considerations and the influencing factors for the technological integration of educational curricula based on the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) framework for health profession educators (HPEs). A mixed methodology was used that included semi-structured interviews with 15 HPEs and an online TPCK survey with a randomly selected sample of 319 HPEs from 217 Taiwanese universities. Five themes emerged, namely, supplementing traditional teaching methods, improving immediate educator–student interactions, tracking the learning process and improving the record-keeping, keeping up with technological trends, and advancing professional learning objectives for different student needs. The presence of pre-existing platforms and inspiration from colleagues and students were facilitators, whereas the risk of technological problems and the need to invest extra time into the preparation process were impediments to technology integration in the curriculum. Of the online respondents (n = 210), 64.2% have integrated at least one technological method into their curriculum. The logistic regression model revealed that gender, prior knowledge regarding how to incorporate technology with teaching, high mean TPCK scores, and relevant school policies were significant predictors of technology integration in the curriculum. Based on these results, recommendations for development in the health profession included efforts to equip HPEs with TPCK, in order to integrate technology into the curriculum effectively.

National nursing science priorities: Creating a shared vision

BACKGROUND

Nursing science is essential to advance population health through contributions at all phases of scientific inquiry. Multiple scientific initiatives important to nursing science overlap in aims and population focus.

PURPOSE

This article focused on providing the American Academy of Nursing and nurse scientists in the Unites States with a blueprint of nursing science priorities to inform a shared vision for future collaborations, areas of scientific inquiry, and resource allocation.

METHODS

The Science Committee convened four times and using Delphi methods identified priorities with empirical evidence and expert opinion for prioritization, state of the science, expert interest, and potential target stakeholders.

DISCUSSION

Nursing science priorities for 2017 were categorized into four themes including: (a) precision science, (b) big data and data analytics, (c) determinants of health, and (d) global health.

CONCLUSION

Nurse scientists can generate new knowledge in priority areas that advances the health of the world's populations.

Technology Use and Technological Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Nursing Faculty

AIM

This study explored faculty responses to a survey about using technology to teach undergraduate nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding faculty confidence, technology use, or supports for integrating technology into nursing education.

METHOD

A descriptive correlational design was utilized to explore the relationship between technology use and technological self-efficacy in faculty (N = 272) who teach at Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education-accredited nursing programs. Instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Roney Technology Use Scale, and the Technology Self-Efficacy Scale.

RESULTS

Participants who taught didactic content had moderate technology use as compared to those teaching didactic and clinical/laboratory who reported high levels of technology use. A weak relationship between age and technological self-efficacy (ρ = .127, p < .05) was also found.

CONLUSION

This research was an initial step in understanding levels of technology use and responses to this challenge by undergraduate nursing faculty.