Nursing Students’ Perceived Confidence in eHealth Concepts and Willingness to Learn: A Multi-site Cross-sectional Survey in India

Abstract

Background: With the digitalization of health care, nurses are required to possess adequate eHealth competence. Aim: This study aimed to explore the perceived confidence in eHealth concepts and willingness for training among nursing students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 572 undergraduate nursing students recruited by convenience sampling technique from two selected nursing colleges in Southern and Northern India. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analysed using SPSS. A p-value of less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results: A total of 572 students completed the survey. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 28 years, with a mean of 20.7 (SD 2.0) years. Most of the students (92.5%) used smartphones as their source of internet. More than half (66.1%) of the students were confident in various eHealth concepts. Those who were not confident in a particular eHealth concept were more willing to learn the same concept than those who were confident. Conclusion: The study recommends preparing future nurses having knowledge of various eHealth concepts using curricular and co-curricular activities to increase their confidence and enable them to work effectively in the era of digital transformation of health care.