Insights from the rapid implementation of digital technologies in nursing practice during COVID-19 – a survey.
The COVID-19-driven rapid adoption of digital technology required nurses to adapt their approach to patient care while simultaneously learning to integrate these technologies into their practice. The insights gained from this experience are essential for preparing the nursing workforce for future pu...
| Publicado en: | Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 32 - 48 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Feb2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193038438&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 193038438 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10376178 G9U jtl: Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession issn: 10376178 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Feb2026 vid: 62 iid: 1 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 193038438 186033422 193038438 193038438 10.1080/10376178.2025.2519178 193038438 ppf: 32 ppct: 16 formats: tig: atl: Insights from the rapid implementation of digital technologies in nursing practice during COVID-19 – a survey. aug: au: Lokmic-Tomkins, Zerina Lin, Yi-Fung Robinson, Eddie Bichel-Findlay, Jen Faisal, Muhammad Dowding, Dawn affil: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia sug: subj: Nursing Practice Australia Digital Technology Utilization Implementation Science Adaptation, Occupational Nurse Attitudes Evaluation COVID-19 Pandemic Australia Pandemic Preparedness Public Health Workforce Human Cross Sectional Studies Australia Open-Ended Questionnaires Content Analysis Health Information Management Remote Consultation Electronic Health Records Mobile Applications Utilization Health Information Systems Electronic Order Entry User-Computer Interface Attitude of Health Personnel Communication Monitoring, Physiologic Scales Descriptive Statistics Data Analysis Software Support, Social Electronic Data Interchange Computer Hardware Infection Control Computer Literacy Mentorship Nurses Education Nursing Role Snowball Sample Conceptual Framework ab: The COVID-19-driven rapid adoption of digital technology required nurses to adapt their approach to patient care while simultaneously learning to integrate these technologies into their practice. The insights gained from this experience are essential for preparing the nursing workforce for future public health emergencies. Aim: To explore nurses' adoption of digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic and their perceived impact on nursing practice in Australia, focusing on technology-supported workforce preparedness for future public health emergencies. Design: A cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Nurses who worked in clinical settings during the COVID-19 lockdown period were eligible to participate in this study. Participants (N = 94) completed a 41-item online survey of forced-choice responses, free-text open-ended questions, and a system usability rating. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: Ninety-four respondents representing various fields of nursing reported on 102 distinct digital technologies. These technologies were categorized into online communication (n = 42; 41.2%), patient monitoring/data sharing (n = 20; 19.6%), virtual appointments (n = 16; 15.7%), electronic medical records (n = 15; 14.7%), mobile applications (n = 5; 4.9%), information systems (n = 3; 2.9%), and e-prescribing (n = 1; 0.9%). System usability varied across different types of technology. Barriers to successful technology use included inadequate infrastructure, low staff and patient digital literacy, lack of organizational support and training, particularly when redeployed, and clinician attitudes. Conclusion: Although study participants demonstrated high agility and adaptability when digital technologies were rapidly implemented, the data suggests a need for greater organizational support and proactive preparation for similar public health emergencies. One of the most critical lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that even though digital technologies may need to be rapidly deployed to effectively support healthcare delivery during public health emergencies, this deployment needs to be thoughtful. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of such crises, investing in the digital preparedness of the nursing workforce emerges as a strategic imperative and as an essential component to fostering workforce resilience and long-term sustainability. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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