Data Analytics and Administrative Decision-Making in Nursing Management: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aim: This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of data analytics on nurse managers’ administrative decision-making process and roles. Background: The growing integration of data analytics in health care has accelerated the shift toward data-driven decision-making in nursing management, aiming to optimize patient care quality and enhance organizational performance within digital healthcare environments. Nurse managers play a pivotal role in leveraging data analytics to support evidence-based management, facilitating more informed, efficient, and strategic administrative decision-making. Method: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies published from 2019 through 2024 using four electronic databases—PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Embase. A total of 2051 studies were screened, and 83 studies were eligible for full-text screening according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eight different quality assessment tools were applied. Data tabulation and narrative synthesis were employed. Results: Twenty-one studies representing eight different study designs were included in the review. There were diverse applications of data analytics across four analytics levels: descriptive (n = 4), diagnostic (n = 2), predictive (n = 9), and prescriptive (n = 1). Additionally, integrated approaches combining two levels of analytics were identified (n = 5). Conclusion: The integration of data analytics into nursing management has the potential to enhance an administrative decision-making process across diverse nursing management roles, particularly in four key areas: improving patient care quality, strategic management, nurse staffing and work engagement, and nursing management during health crises. Implications for Nursing Management: Strengthening nurse managers’ analytical and digital competencies through targeted education and continuous training is essential. Ensuring supportive infrastructure can enable more informed, efficient, and evidence-based management, ultimately leading to improved healthcare quality and operational performance. Future research should explore the long-term impact and broader applicability across diverse healthcare settings.