Nurses' attitudes towards a computerised health information system in a private South African Hospital

Abstract

Various researchers have explored the use of health information systems (HISs) in the public sector in South Africa, including users' experiences thereof. However, there is limited research relating to the private health sector. Nurses form the majority of the health workforce and are therefore essential for capturing clinical data into an HIS. The study under review aimed to obtain a better understanding about nurses' attitudes towards a computerised HIS. The objectives were to explore and describe nurses' attitudes towards the HIS in a private hospital in North West, South Africa. The research followed a qualitative design using interpretive, descriptive and contextual strategies. Purposive sampling was done (n=14) and semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, while thematic analysis was done according to Creswell's steps. It was found that the nurses held specific affective, cognitive and behavioural attitudes towards the HIS. The findings indicated how the HIS challenges the caring ethos of nursing as information technology (IT) infiltrates the caring presence between nurse and patient. The study confirmed that nurses have positive attitudes towards the HIS. It is recommended that managers include confidentiality measures as part of HIS standards and ensure adherence thereto. Further research could be done on the relation between the HIS and the ethics of nursing as a profession.