Acceptance of electronic and paper-based standardized Nursing Care Plans Documentation System among nurses in a Tertiary Health Facility in North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

Acceptance is important for successful adoption of new technology. This study assessed the level of acceptability of electronic and paper-based Standardized Nursing Care Plans templates among nurses in a tertiary health facility in North Central Nigeria. Adopting a comparative design, data were collected from 32 nurses working in two medical units of a tertiary health facility who had earlier been introduced to an electronic and Paper-based Standardized Nursing Care plan (SNCPs) templates. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the nurses. Data was computed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and analyzed using frequency distribution, independent t-test, and Multiple Regression. The result showed that the electronic SNCPs were accepted by all nurses working in the electronic ward while only 2(12.5%) of nurses in the paper word did not accept the paper SNCPs. There was no significant difference in the level of nurses’ acceptability of SNCPs (t-value = 1.400, p = 0.172). Also, only nurses’ years of experience had a statistically significant relationship with acceptance. Providing adequate training would enhance nurses use SNCPs in either electronic or paper formats.