Nurses' attitudes towards computers: cross sectional questionnaire study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the attitudes of hospital nurses towards computers and the influence of gender, age, education, and computer usage on these attitudes.


METHODS
The study was conducted in two Croatian hospitals where integrated hospital information system is being implemented. There were 1,081 nurses surveyed by an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 8 questions about demographic data, education, and computer usage, and 30 statements on attitudes towards computers. The statements were adapted to a Likert type scale. Differences in attitudes towards computers were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey-b post-hoc test.


RESULTS
The total score was 120+/-15 (mean+/-standard deviation) out of maximal 150. Nurses younger than 30 years had a higher total score than those older than 30 years (124+/-13 vs 119+/-16 for 30-39 age groups and 117+/-15 for>39 age groups, P<0.001). Nurses with a bachelor's degree (119+/-16 vs 122+/-14, P=0.002) and nurses who had attended computer science courses had a higher total score compared to the others (124+/-13 vs 118+/-16, P<0.001). Nurses using computers more than 5 hours per week had higher total score than those who used computers less than 5 hours (127+/-13 vs 124+/-12 for 1-5 h and and 119+/-14 for <1 hour per day, P<0.001, post-hoc test).


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses in general have positive attitudes towards computers. These results are important for the planning and implementing an integrated hospital information system.
Brumini
Gordan
G
Department of Computer Science, Rijeka University School of Medicine, Brace Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. bgord@medri.hr
Kovic
Ivor
I
Zombori
Dejvid
D
Lulic
Ileana
I
Petrovecki
Mladen
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D017523:Croatia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires