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Olumba 1 - 5 Council
Olumba 1 - 5 Council
BY
SUBMITTED TO
UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR
CALABAR – NIGERIA
MAY, 2021
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
BY
UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR
CALABAR – NIGERIA
MAY, 2020
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
DECLARATION
This is to declare that this research project titled KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF
is solely the result of my work except where acknowledged as being derived from other person’s
or resources.
EXAMINATION NUMBER:………………………….
IN THE
SIGNATURE:………………………
DATE:……………………………
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that this research project by MBA, OLUMBA KANU with Examination No.:
……………………………………………
Signature:……………………………………… Date:……………………………..
Mr Ndukaku Nwakwue C.
(Supervisor)
Signature:………………………………………… Date:………………………………
Signature:………………………………… Date:……………………………..
Name:…………….……………………………………………………
(Chief Examiner)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to Almighty God who bestowed me with grace, strength and good health
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, my utmost appreciation goes to God almighty for His Grace that kept me
I cannot express enough thanks to my amiable supervisor, Mr Ndukaku Nwakwue for his
unrelenting effort in reading and making useful corrections and suggestions that led to the
success of this work. I also appreciate the motherly Head of Department, Dr. Magaret Mombel
Opiah and all other lecturers in the Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar for
their relentless effort and positive contribution to the successful completion of my academic
pursuit.
Very importantly, I sincerely appreciate my late parents Apostle Mba Kanu and Mrs Theresa
Mba for showing me the right path even before their demise. My humble appreciation goes to
my anty Mrs Ibum Kanu for her love, care, prayers, encouragement and financial support
throughout the course of my study and for being my new mom and dad. I extend the appreciation
to my anty Mrs Roseline for her guidance. To my ever supporting siblings and cousins Ibum,
Fortune, Unoh, Nancy, Onugu and all others, I love you specially.
To my friends, Lekan Macaulay, Inaku Basil, Odo Chukwudi, Isaiah Adeh and Promise Gabriel,
I say a very big thank you for your immeasurable contribution towards my success. I sincerely
appreciate my mentor, Mr Njor Asu, may Almighty God bless, replenish and reward you all
ABSTRACT
Information technology is of high significance in the health sector as it eases the work of health
professionals and improves quality of care to patients. This study investigated knowledge and
attitude of nurses towards information technology in nursing care of patients in The University of
Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to determine
the knowledge of nurses on information technology in nursing care of patients in The University
of Calabar Teaching hospital, Calabar, examine the attitude of nurses towards information
technology in nursing care of patients in The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
Theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed in line with the study objectives. The theory of
Roger’s diffusion was used for the study. A descriptive cross-sectional survey using quantitative
design was adopted to select 235 nurses in The University of Calabar Teaching hospital, Calabar
for the study. Ethical approval was obtained according to requirement. Data was collected using
structured questionnaire and the same was analyzed using frequency count and simple
percentages while Pearson product moment correlation was used to test for the null hypothesis.
Findings revealed that majority of the nurses (98.2%) had good knowledge of information
technology while 1.8% had bad knowledge. Furthermore, as regard attitude of nurses towards
information technology, findings showed that all (100%) of the nurses had positive attitudes
towards information technology in nursing care of patients. Also, results of null hypothesis
showed that there was a significant relationship between knowledge and attitude of nurses
towards information technology in nursing care of patients in The University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, Calabar at p<0.05. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that
trainings, seminars and workshops should be organized by nursing leaders so as to educate
nurses on information technology and its application in nursing care of patients. Also, the use of
practical sessions will help improve self-confidence of nurses towards application of information
technology in nursing care of patients.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE i
TITLE PAGE ii
DECLARATION. iii
CERTIFICATION iv
DEDICATION v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
ABSTRACT vii
LIST OF TABLES ix
LIST OF FIGURES x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.3.2 Attitude of nurses towards information technology in the nursing care of patients
2.3.3 Factors affecting the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information technology in
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
CHAPTER FOUR
4.3.1 Ho
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Discussion
5.3 Summary
5.4 Conclusion
5.5 Recommendations
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRE
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig 1: A pie chart showing summary of nurses’ knowledge on information technology in UCTH
(n=231)
Fig 2: A pie chart showing final summary nurse’s attitude towards IT in UCTH (n=231)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Information Technology (IT) has transformed the way people collaborate, identify potential
collaborators or friends, communicate with each other and identify information that is relevant to
their practice (Adeleke et al., 2014). The continuous and extensive use of information technology
(IT) is changing the way people and organizations work (Agwu, 2018). Fergus and Igwe (2013)
stated that technology has increased rapidly over the past four decades, and has become an
Many terms describe the processes related to information technology leading to difficulties in the
choice of terms which can affect the clarity of ideas and discussions. As a result of this, attempts
were made to standardize the terms. The application of information technology to the field of
health care was termed health information technology. According to Taiwo (2015), Health
deployment of computers and computing technologies for storage, retrieval, sharing and use of
health information for communication and decision making to improve health care quality.
Due to the importance of health information, Nigeria is witnessing continually advocacy and an
increased number of individuals yearning for the computerization of health information and
healthcare processes. On the other hand, the government is evolving policies and strategies for
the adoption and implementation of health information (Adeleke et al., 2014). This is evident in
the development of a draft by the federal ministry of health and the ministry of communication
technology which was termed the National Health Information Communication Technology
applications to medical science and practice namely clinical informatics, bioinformatics, health
care informatics, nursing informatics, imaging informatics etc. Nursing informatics is the
application of health technology to the field of nursing. Nursing informatics is the use of
computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information
According to research carried out by Akpabio and Ella (2015) on the preparedness of graduate
nurses in Calabar, graduate nurses’ level of knowledge of informants possessed is mostly limited
to using the computer. The majority of them do not know the scope or components of
informatics and have limited knowledge of the management of information. Also, research by
Aanwoluwapo al. (2014) on the competencies and barriers to the use of nursing information
among nurses in primary, secondary and tertiary, health care facilities in Nigeria showed that
nurses’ knowledge of information technology was just far while the majority rated themselves as
not competent in the use of nursing informatics with various barriers identified. Ajibade et al.
(2013) in research to assess the knowledge and attitude towards the introduction of informatics to
nursing training among selected nurse educations/leaders in Nigeria, established that the
introduction of informatics to nursing training was a welcome idea by the generality of nurse
tutors and lecturers. Also, Abiola et al. (2014), on the assessment of ICT knowledge, utilization
and perception among health care providers at National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria, showed that the
health care workers massively indicated interests in further training in the use of computer and
the internment to boost their sources of information for better practice and improved public
health. These studies provide evidence that the knowledge of information technology was poor
among Nigeria nurses and as well prove that nurses are interested to have a better knowledge of
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
health informatics. It is against this background, it became necessary to examine the knowledge
and attitude of nurses towards information technology in nursing care of patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. This study will include five chapters;
chapter one will introduce this study and the significance of the study, chapter two will review
the literature on the topic, chapter three will indicate methodology used in this study, chapter
four will analyse data and findings, and chapter five will discuss findings as well as conclusions.
Globally, information technology is now an integral part of healthcare services. The impact of
information technology on nursing has been a subject of discourse. Despite its obvious benefits,
adapting information technology to healthcare has been relatively difficult in many developing
countries (Ayandiran, 2013). Fergus and Igwe (2013) opined that Nigeria, even with the
development of strategies to implement health informatics is still very far from achieving it, due
such training due to opposing factors. Adams et al. (2020) showed that the high cost of modern
equipment, lack of power supply of electricity required to power the instruments, complexity of
the instruments, lack of self-confidence and fear of the unknown were the factors discouraging
Nigerian nurses still significantly lagging behind their fellow counterparts in other countries has
led to the development of questions as to if nurses should have a basic knowledge of information
technology and if they feel information technology does not influence the quality nursing care of
patients (Ademuyiwa et al., 2020). Furthermore, the emphasis is that nurses need to embrace new
technology to meet future demands on healthcare (Akpabio and Ella, 2015). The study, therefore,
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
seeks to assess the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards Information Technology in nursing
The purpose of this study is to establish and determine the knowledge and attitude of nurses
2. To examine the attitude of nurses towards information technology in nursing care of patients
1 What is the knowledge of nurses on information technology in the nursing care of patients in
2. What is the attitude of nurses towards Information Technology in nursing care of patients in
There is no significant relationship between the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards
Hospital, Calabar.
The study is focused on the assessment of the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards
information technology and its relevance in promoting quality nursing care of patients in the
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar and only based on research objectives set by
the study. It covers all cadres of nurses working in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,
Calabar, Nigeria.
This study on the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information technology in nursing
care of patients in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar will be of great benefit to
some persons, including nurses, organizations and the government. Particular to the nurses this
study will help to increase their awareness of information technology and its application in
quality nursing care of nursing patients more specifically called nursing informatics. It will help
and sponsor information technology campaigns across institution and hospitals. International
health bodies such as The World Health Organization (WHO) will be encouraged to fund the
The government also stands to benefit from the study as this study will establish the need for the
government to make purchases, install and manage information technology devices across
medical centres. The media will also be encouraged to increase the awareness of the relevance of
Limitation of this study has to do with the challenge of collecting information as some of them
refused to give information for confidential purposes. The study only concentrates in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, a wider study that will cover nurses in other hospitals
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
in Calabar will be required for generalization to be made. Also, the time gap for the completion
Nursing: The act and science of assisting people to promote and maintain health prevent
diseases,
recover from illness, adjust to and live with a disability and accept death in terminal
illness
(ICN, 1975)
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter will review the literature on the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards
information technology in nursing care of patients. It will consist of conceptual review, empirical
Information technology also called information and communication technology (ICT) more
extensively encompasses all those digital and analogue technologies that facilitate the capturing,
Yekini, (2014), information technology is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit and
manipulate data or information. The term is commonly used as a synonym for computer and
computer networks but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as
television and telephone (Yekini, 2014). In the health sector, information technology refers to a
set of projects or services that allow for remote care (telehealth), interdisciplinary clinical
support, as well as knowledge transfer (Cote et al., 2015). A computer is an important tool in
information technology because of the speed with which it processes information. According to
Adeleke et al. (2015), the computer is a major information technology tool that has transformed
information and data handling processes in all endeavours. The computer is a device that is
capable of automatically accepting (input) storing and processing data into useful (output) at a
very high speed under the control of stored instructions (programs) (Yekini, 2014). It is made of
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
hardware and software. Hardware is the physical parts of the computer that can be seen while the
perform specific operations. Examples of hardware include mouse, speakers while software
include Microsoft word, electronic health records etc. According to Adeleke et al. (2014), it was
reported that the deployment of information technology in healthcare management has provided
information technology to the healthcare sector known as health information technology is seen
by Adeleke et al. (2014) as the application of information processing involving the deployment
of computers and computing technologies for storing, retrieving and sharing and use of health
information for communication and decision-making to improve health care quality. Information
technology is an important part of the healthcare system it makes it easy for the integration of
data, information and knowledge to support health care providers including nurses in their
provision of services. According to Daniel and Oyotunde (2013) information technology is used
in the direct provision of care, establishing effective administration systems, managing and
delivering educational experiences, supporting lifelong learning and supporting nursing research.
It was also stated that the goal of information technology in the health sector is to improve the
According to the Canadian nurses association according to the Canadian association of schools
of nursing (2012), the basic foundational information technology skills among nursing students
should include device use (featuring personal computers, tablets, modems, flash drives of
loading downloading use of the internet) and application use (featuring the use of emails,
creating videos, YouTube channels, use of MS words, spreadsheets and presentations, use of
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
technology for self-directed learning familiarity with social networking applications such as
Twitter, Facebook). This of course helps to access patients and their families to access, review
and evaluate information using Information and Communications Technology to manage their
health.
Possessing the necessary knowledge about a subject area such as information technology is of
nurses to provide good quality care to their clients. In a descriptive study by Akpabio and Ella
sampling technique was used to gather 102 respondents from a target population of 165 graduate
nurses. From the result 25 (25%) of the respondents rated themselves as adequately computer
literate while 76 (75%) admitted fair knowledge as they do not know the components of
information technology and its application to inpatient care. This showed inadequacy in the
computer literacy level among nurses and the need to emphasize information technology
nurses’ perception and barriers to the use of information technology in a teaching hospital in
Nigeria showed that out of the 100% of sample size, 37.8% stated that they had never had formal
training on information technology and many rated themselves as possessing little or no skills in
areas such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation. 55.6% stated that they do not have
access to information technology despite the fairly widespread satisfaction perception established
among them results further showed that 48.9% of the nurses had never used information
technology in patient care. Also, a cross-sectional survey was conducted by Blank et al (2014) on
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
the health workers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards computer applications in rural African
health facilities. A total of 108 providers responded, only 40% had ever used computers and 29%
had prior computer training. About 80% were completely illiterate or beginners. Hence, they
lacked knowledge about information technology and its application in the care of patients.
the competencies and barriers to the use of nursing Informatics among nurses in primary,
secondary and tertiary health care facilities in Nigeria. Data was collected from 350 nurses from
1 tertiary, 6 secondary and 30 primary health care facilities using multi-stage sampling
techniques from six towns. The result showed a fair knowledge of information technology by
55.4% of the respondents who were able to use information technology devices to perform basic
Ademuyiwa et al (2020) in a study on knowledge and use of nursing Informatics among nurses
sample size of 162. It was discovered that the overall knowledge of nursing Informatics was
high, 121.5 (75%) had a good knowledge of nursing Informatics and its application in the care of
patients in the area such as the internet, word processing, nursing process application. In a
children's cancer hospital in Cairo Egypt, Ebrahem et al (2014), found that 100% of the study
sample had a good knowledge of information technology in the nursing care of patients.
2.3.2 Attitude of nurses towards information technology in the nursing care of patients
According to Karani et al (2014), a positive attitude could cause rapid adoption with
are important and the willingness of health workers to use any health information technology
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
system is influenced by their perceptions of its value, clinical benefits and ease of use. In a study
conducted by Adams et al (2020) on the assessment of nurses’ attitudes towards the use of
modern technology in Nigeria, 250 nurses were selected from three hospitals in Benin city, Edo,
60% of the respondents expressed a positive attitude towards information technology and its
application in the care of patients. This is in agreement with a similar study carried out in
Singapore in 2011 to explore nurses’ knowledge and attitude towards the adoption of modern
technology in nursing practice and found that more than 64% of the nurses experienced a
In research by Ajibade et al (2013), among nurse educators and leaders, 175 respondents were
randomly selected for the study on attitude towards the introduction of information technology to
nursing training, 100% of the study sample had a positive attitude towards the introduction of
information technology to nursing training. This of course goes a long way to influence the
performed by Blank et al (2014), of the 180 respondents 95.3% had positive attitudes towards
2.3.3 Factors affecting the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information
information technology in nursing practice revealed that gender, nationality, educational levels
and duration of computer use were the factors that affected the attitude of nurses towards
technology in nursing care of patients. Karani et al (2014) cited age, educational level, years of
nursing experience and experience with computers as factors influencing nurses’ attitudes
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
towards information technology. Age was consistently found to influence nurses’ attitudes
towards the computerization of nursing care plans as younger nurses demonstrated a greater
enthusiasm in the use of technology. Additionally, Irinoye et al (2013) discovered that nurses’
poor access to information technology facilities and unreliable network connections as barriers to
the use of information technology. Also, Adams et al (2020) on the assessment of nurses’
knowledge and attitudes on the use of information technology in Benin city discovered the high
cost of modern equipment, lack of power supply of electricity required to power the instruments,
complexity of the instruments, lack of self-confidence and fear of the unknown as the factors that
affected the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information technology in nursing care of
patients.
Rogers’ Diffusion of innovation is a behavioural theory that describes the process the users go
through in the adoption or rejection of new ideas, practices, or technology. It was developed by
Rogers in 1962. The main components of this theory are innovation, adopters, communication
channels, time and social systems. (Fink et al., 2005). Rogers suggests that there are five
perceived attributes of an innovation that affect its uptake and use. These are:
Relative advantage whether an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it replaces;
certain channels over time among members of a social system”. The process includes:
Innovations: This represents newness. It is not the same thing as invention. The
invention is about the discovery of new ideas or approaches; innovation is about their
application.
Awareness: The individual is exposed to the innovation but lacks complete information
about it.
Interest: The individual becomes interested in the new idea and seeks additional
Evaluation: Individual mentally applies the innovation to his present and anticipated
Adoption : The individual decides to continue the full use of the innovation (Rogers,
2003)
Patient care should be scientific, technological and research-based to achieve high-quality patient
care. The vision for nursing in the twenty-first century is for all nurses to seek out innovations
and evidence and apply it in their everyday practice. As health care is evolving constantly, wave
after wave of new technologies, insurance models, regulatory changes, information technology
system and institutional arrangements buffer the system and the people in it. Innovation is not a
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
technological trends to promote efficient nursing care of patients. Many of these developments
by nurses have resulted in significant improvements in the health of patients, populations and
health systems. Nurses occupy a unique and powerful position in the healthcare system. They
spend more time than other health professional in direct patient care and interact with patients
and families, often in times of great need and distress (Johnson and Ryan, 2015). As such, they
are critically positioned to provide creative and innovative solutions for current and future global
health challenges.
Innovation
Innovation is a broad category, relative to the current knowledge of the analyzed unit. Any idea,
practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption could be
that is highly significant in the health sector. It has changed the way nurses work to perform their
Adopters
Adopters are the minimal unit of analysis. In most studies, adopters are individuals, but can also
(Meyer, 2004). in this study, the adopters of information technology are the health institutions
Communication channels
allow the transfer of information from one unit to the other. Communication patterns or
Time
The passage of time is necessary for innovations to be adopted; they are rarely adopted
instantaneously. Nurses, with time, are expected to have a good knowledge of and a positive
Social system
The social system is the combination of external influences (mass media, surfactants,
organizational or governmental mandates) and internal influences (strong and weak social
relationships, distance from opinion leaders) (Sarah et al, 1998). There are many roles in a social
system, and their combination represents the total influences on a potential adopter of
information technology.
- Knowledge / Awareness
The individual is first exposed to innovation but lacks information about the innovation. During
this stage the individual has not yet been inspired to find out more information about the
- Persuasion
The individual is interested in the innovation and actively seeks related information/details.
- Decision
The individual takes the concept of the change and weighs the advantages/disadvantages of using
the innovation and decides whether to adopt or reject the innovation. Due to the individualistic
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
nature of this stage, Rogers notes that it is the most difficult stage on which to acquire empirical
evidence.
- Implementation
The individual employs the innovation to a varying degree depending on the situation. During
this stage, the individual also determines the usefulness of the innovation and may search for
- Confirmation / Continuation
The individual finalizes his/her decision to continue using the innovation. This stage is both
intrapersonal (may cause cognitive dissonance) and interpersonal, confirmation the group has
2.5 Summary
The literature review has identified a lack of knowledge towards the information technology by
nurses in the care of patients. A positive attitude and willingness to have a knowledge of
information technology and apply it in the nursing care of patients was also highlighted by the
review. The literature review has also shown that lack of adequate facilities and proper policies
affected nurses’ attitude towards information technology in the nursing care of patients.
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the method adopted by the researcher in carrying out the study and will
comprise of the following sub-units; research design, study setting, study population, sample
size/sampling technique, methods of data collection, instruments of data collection, the validity
The research design refers to the basic structure and strategies a researcher uses to answer
questions and test hypothesis (Polit and Beck, 2018). The research design adopted for this study
cross-sectional survey was adopted because of its ability to generalize its results to the
population of interest depending on the sampling method; it is also economical and easy to
manage (Nieswiadomy and Bailey, 2018). It is therefore preferred because the researcher will
The setting for this study was the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar (UCTH)
Government Area along Unical hotel road by the West, bounded in the North by Edim-Otop
community, in the East by Satellite Town and in the South by the University of Calabar. The
hospital has a health care service department, the administrative department, laundry, tailoring
unit and mortuary services. The health care services include laboratory department, internal
nutrition, accident and emergency, dental department, blood bank and dialysis unit. It is also a
research centre and is made up of seven clinical departments, 48 nursing units, 415 beds and 300
cots. The staff strength is 2,946, the number of nurses is six hundred and one (601). The hospital
paramedical and medical students) and research. The University of Calabar teaching hospital
comprises both the administrative offices and the clinical ward which is suitable for quality
nursing care.
The research population is a complete set of persons or objects that has similar characteristics of
interest to the researcher (Nieswiadong and Bailey, 2018). Target population defines the total
group of elements to which the researcher wishes to generalize is studies, while the accessible
population is the number of elements of the study to which the researcher can have access
(Nieswiadong and Bailey, 2018). The study population comprised of all registered nurses
working in the university of Calabar teaching hospital totalling six hundred and one (601). The
This will include all registered nurses that are practising and are willing to take part in the study.
This study will exclude professional nurses who are not practising, not willing to participate in
the study and also those who are unstable and not physically able to.
Sampling is the process by which a researcher selects a portion of the population to represent the
entire population (Polit and Beck, 2018). The sampling technique used in this study is the
purposive sampling technique. This sampling technique enables the researcher to choose objects
or people based on own judgement (Akpabio, 2018). A sample of two hundred and forty (235)
nurses was drawn from the target population of (601) six hundred and one. This sampling
technique was used to ensure equal participation of nursing staff in each nursing units (wards)
and eliminate bias. The sample size was calculated using Cochran's (1977) formula, which is
stated as;
Z 2 pq
2
n0 = c
Where;
(1.92)2 (0.5)(0.5)
n0 = (0.05)2
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
n0 = 385
( n0 )
1+( no −1)
n = N
385
1+(385−1 )
n = 601
385
n = 1+0 .64
365
n = 1.64
n = 235.
Research instruments are the tools used by the researcher to collect data for observation and
questionnaire with close-ended was used to collect data for this study.
respondents.
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
Section B will be used to elicit information on the knowledge of nurses towards information
Sections C will elicit information on the attitudes of nurses towards information technology in
The validity of a research Instrument refers to the extent to which the instrument measures what
Face validity: an instrument is said to have face validity when its preliminary examination
shows that it measures what is supposed to be measure (Nieswiadong and Bailey, 2018). To
ensure face validity the instrument will be given to the project supervisor for assessment,
Content validity: this shows the degree to which an instrument has the appropriate sample of
items to measure the variables and construct domain in research (Polit and Beck, 2018). To
examine the content validity the questionnaire will be given to the project supervisor to assess
the content validity with the variables concerned in this research work.
Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or measuring procedure yields the same
results on repeated trials (Nieswiadong and Bailey, 2018). The reliability will be done using the
test-retest method. The researcher administered the questionnaire to twenty (25) nurses and after
two (2) weeks the same questionnaire was administered again to the same respondent.
Following consent, quantitative data will be collected from nurses in the University of Calabar
during a two-week visit to the hospital. and will be retrieved on the spot through the help of a
research assistant. After the respondent has completed the forms, the researcher will gather data
for analysis. The researcher will also include pre-note to enable and guide the respondents on
To carry out data analysis for this study, Pearson product moment correlation will be used to
analyze the quantitative data gotten through a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Data will be
The researcher got permission from the head of the Department of Nursing Sciences, University
of Calabar, Calabar. The researcher also got informed consent from the respondents. The
respondents were given adequate information about the research work, which satisfies their right
to full disclosure of information. Their rights to autonomy and voluntary participation were
strictly adhered to. The principle of beneficence and non-maleficence was ensured as well as
excluding their names and any means of identification from the questionnaire
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
CHAPTER FOUR
This chapter focuses on the analysis and presentation of data. Two hundred and thirty-
five questionnaires were distributed to the participants and a response rate of 98% was
obtained. Data is presented according to the research questions and analyzed with
of 231 study participants, 3(1.3%) were males while females constituted 228(98.7%).
Data on age shows that 47(20.3%) were aged 25-34 years, 143(61.9%) were aged 35-
44years, 32(13.9%) were between 35 - 54 years and 9(3.9%) were aged 55years and
above. Regarding marital status, 24(10.4%) were singles, 185(80.1%) were married,
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
qualification showed that 190(82.3%) had RN/RM/RP, 36(15.6%) were BSc holders,
5(22%) had Master’s degree and no participant had a PhD. On years of experience,
8(3.5%) had 1-5years of experience in nursing, 169(73.2%) had 6-10yeras while those
Table 1
Participant’s socio-demographic characteristics
(n = 231)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
patients in The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. All the participants
agreed while 51(22.1%) agreed. Of the participants, 100(43.3%) strongly agreed that
information technology involves the use of digital and analogue technology in processing
and exchanging information while 131(56.7) agreed to it. Also, when asked if they were
able to use computers for basic operations such as typing and sending emails, 150(64.9%)
strongly agreed while 81(35.1%) agreed. Finally, the participants were asked if they had
enough knowledge and skills to apply information technology in nursing care of patients,
50(21.6%) strongly agreed to the fact, 160(69.3% ) agreed while 21(9.1%) disagreed. The
final score for nurses’ knowledge of information technology was obtained by adding up
participants’ scores on all items in section A. The minimum score was 6 while the
maximum score was 11. Participants who scored 6- 8 were categorised as those with poor
knowledge on IT while those who scored 9- 11 were classified as having good knowledge
on IT. Hence, 227(98.2%) had good knowledge on IT while 4(1.8%) had poor knowledge
Table 2
Nurses’ knowledge on information technology in nursing care of patients in UCTH
(n = 231)
(Field survey, 2021)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
Good
knowl
edge
on IT
227(9
8.2%)
poor
knowl
edge
on IT
4(1.8
%)
FIG.1: A 3-D pie chart showing summary of nurses’ knowledge on information technology in
UCTH
(n=231)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
4.2.2 Research question 2: What is the attitude of nurses towards Information Technology in
Table 3 shows nurses’ attitude towards information technology in UCTH. Out of 231
participants of the study, 182(78.8%) strongly agreed, to the statement ‘I feel Information
Technology makes my work easier’, 49(21.2%) agreed and none, disagreed or strongly
disagreed or strongly disagreed to the statement. As regards the opinion, ‘I wish to learn
more or get more training on the use of Information Technology in the care of patients’,
made mandatory to all nurses, 106(45.9%) strongly agreed, 125(54.1%) agreed to this.
On if participants believed they had enough knowledge and skills to apply information
technology in nursing care, 172 (74.5%) agreed strongly and 59(25.5%) disagreed while no
participant disagreed or strongly disagreed to this assertion. For ease of computation, the
scores for strongly agree and agree were collapsed into agree while those of strongly
disagree and disagree were merged into disagree to show participant’s attitude towards
IT. FIG 2 reflects this summary. Then, the overall summary for nurses’ attitude towards
information technology was obtained by computing the sum of scores on all items
measuring attitude in section D. The maximum score was 13 while the minimum score
was 6. Participants who scored 6-9 were categorized as having poor attitude while those
whose scores were between 10 and 13 were categorized as having negative attitude.
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
Therefore, 231(100%) had positive attitude while none had negative attitude towards IT.
Table 3
Positive
attitude
towards
IT
231(100.
0%)
FIG.5: A pie chart showing final summary nurse’s attitude towards IT in UCTH
(n=231)
28(18.2%)
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
There is no significant relationship between the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards
Hospital, Calabar.
Table 4.
Pearson product moment correlation analysis of the relationship between the knowledge
(N = 231)
71308 0.1556
The result in table shows that the calculated r-value of 0.1556 was found to be greater than the
critical r-value of 0.127 needed for significance at 0.05 alpha level of significance with 229
degree of freedom. With the result, the null hypothesis which state that there is no significant
relationship between the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information technology in
nursing care of patients in The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. was rejected.
This therefore implies that there is a significant relationship between the knowledge and attitude
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
CHAPTER FIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presented the summary, conclusion and recommendation of the study. It also
presented the implications of the study and suggestions for further studies. These were presented
as follows.
Result of this study showed that a significant number of the respondents (92.8%) had good
knowledge of information technology. This is due to the current wave of technological trend in
the society. This finding is in agreement with a study by Ademuyiwa et al (2020) in a university
teaching hospital, Lagos where it was observed that the overall knowledge of information
technology was high, 121.5 (75%) had a good knowledge of nursing Informatics and its
application in the care of patients in the area such as the internet, word processing, nursing
process application. The result of this study is also backed up by a study Ebrahem et al (2014) in
Cairo, Egypt where it was found that 100% of the study sample had a good knowledge of
information technology in the nursing care of patients. The study also indicated that 100% of the
respondents could perform basic computer operations such as typing and sending emails.
Also, a study by Akpabio and Ella (2015) on the nursing Informatics preparedness of graduate
nurses in Calabar, showed that of the 102 respondents from a target population of 165 graduate
nurses, 25 (25%) of the respondents rated themselves as adequately computer literate while 76
Contrary to this study, Blank et al (2014) on the health workers’ knowledge of and attitudes
towards computer applications in rural African health facilities showed that of the 108 providers
responded, only 40% had ever used computers and 29% had prior computer training. About 80%
Findings of the study showed that all the respondents (100%) had positive attitude information
technology in nursing care of patients. The nurses showed willingness to undergo more training
on information technology and they also felt it was necessary to have these skills to promote
patient care. This result agrees with Adams et al (2020) on the assessment of nurses’ attitudes
towards the use of modern technology in Nigeria in which 250 nurses were selected in Benin
city, Edo and 60% of the respondents expressed a positive attitude towards information
technology and its application in the care of patients. Also supporting the study is a research by
Blank et al (2014), of the 180 respondents 95.3% had positive attitudes towards information
technology in the nursing care of patients. Also, Ajibade et al (2013),in a research among nurse
educators and leaders, 175 respondents were randomly selected for the study on attitude towards
the introduction of information technology to nursing training. 100% of the study sample had a
positive attitude towards the introduction of information technology to nursing training. This is
in agreement with a similar study carried out in Singapore in 2011 to explore nurses and
awareness knowledge and attitude towards the adoption of modern technology in nursing
practice, 64% of the nurses experienced a positive attitude towards the use of modern
technology.
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
Findings of this study showed that the nurses had good knowledge and positive attitude towards
information technology. This makes it important for nurse leaders to organize trainings and
workshops on information technology for both nurses and nursing students. Experts in this area
could also be resourceful in improving nurses' level of knowledge. More so, nurses will have to
stay up-to-date with new trends regarding information technology in nursing care of patients.
5.3 Summary
This study examined knowledge and attitude of nurses towards information technology in
nursing care of patients in The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. Two research
questions guided the study and were related to the specific objectives. Literature review was
based on two specific objectives and were reviewed conceptually, empirically and theoretically.
A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to carry out the study while convenient
sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 235 nurses. Results of data analysis were
presented in frequency tables and percentages. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the
respondents (98.2%) had good knowledge of information technology. It also showed that all the
nurses (100%) had positive attitude towards information technology in nursing care of patients.
5.4 Conclusion
In conclusion, respondents of the study had good knowledge towards information technology in
nursing care of patients. This affected their positive attitude as majority of the respondents
expressed a good attitude towards information technology in nursing care of patients. Knowledge
of information technology plays a key role in influencing the attitude towards the use of
information technology in nursing care of patients. Nursing leaders have a vital to play in
Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Towards Information Technology in Nursing Care of Patients in The
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.
organising seminars and training sessions to train nurses on information technology in the
5.5 Recommendation
educate nurses and nursing students on information technology and its application in
2. The use of practical sessions will help improve self-confidence of nurses towards
3. Hospitals should provide equipment that will be needed for further training of nurses on
4. The government should be pressured to make policies that promote the use of
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River State. I an carrying out a research on "knowledge and attitude of nurses towards
Hospital, Calabar". The questionnaire is designed to collect data for the research, it, therefore,
promises confidentiality. Kindly provide your most honest response to these questions.
Please kindly tick (√) for an option or fill the blank space as the case may be.
2. How old are you? A. 25-34 years ( ) B. 35-44 years ( )C. 45-54 years ( ) D.Over 55 years ( ).
SECTION B
S /N STATEMENT SA A D SD