Israeli nursing students' acceptance of information and communication technologies in clinical placements

Background: Nursing students are required to be adequately prepared to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in clinical practice. Yet, studies conducted worldwide indicate personal, organizational, and social barriers reported by students and a discrepancy between clinical resources and students' needs. Purpose: To explore nursing students' usage of ICT during clinical placement and the associations between students' ICT acceptance, human and organizational resources, and ICT usage. Method: Data were collected from 303 second and third year Israeli nursing students, through a self-administered structured questionnaire. Results: The use of Medical Health Records during clinical placements was rated highest (M = 4.62, SD = 0.74, range 1-5), whereas the use of e-Books was rated lowest (M = 2.26, SD = 1.37, range 1-5). Positive correlations were found between ICT use and human resources, social influence, organizational resources, and performance expectancy. Significant differences were found according to study years and proficiency in computer skills between students. Perceived human resources, cultural group, Hebrew proficiency, and social influence explained 28% of students' variance in ICT usage. Conclusions: Nurse administrators and educators should promote the preparation of clinical settings in accordance with students' needs and proficiencies. Moreover, the development of curricula and clinical practicums must also take into account the role of organizational, social, and computer proficiency in students' ICT adoption.