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Perceptions and Intentions of Nursing Students Regarding Digital Health: A Survey at the University of Montreal
ABSTRACT
Background:
The ongoing nursing shortage in Quebec represents a significant challenge for healthcare systems, negatively affecting patient care and clinical management. While digital health technologies hold promise for addressing these challenges through improved efficiency and data management, their integration into nursing practice remains limited.
Objective:
This study aims to explore nursing students’ perceptions, competencies, and intentions regarding digital health technologies at the University of Montreal Faculty of Nursing, comparing responses across different stages of their undergraduate studies.
Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted using an online questionnaire administered through Qualtrics. Participants (N=136) were recruited from three cohorts: first-year (G1, n=58), second-year (G2, n=55), and third-year (G3, n=23) nursing students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests with post-hoc analyses performed via IBM SPSS (version 28).
Results:
Significant differences were observed among cohorts concerning digital competencies and access to digital tools. Third-year students (G3) showed higher proficiency with electronic medical records (mean=3.29, p=0.011), virtual reality (mean=4.53, p<0.001), and clinical databases (mean=4.59, p<0.001). Despite positive attitudes toward digital health technologies across all groups, the coverage of digital health training within curricula was consistently perceived as insufficient (mean=2.97/5). This underscored a substantial gap between institutional expectations and actual digital training across all cohorts.
Conclusions:
This study highlights critical gaps in digital health training among nursing students, emphasizing the need for targeted curricular reforms, such as the one currently underway at the University of Montreal. These efforts represent a promising opportunity to better align educational content with the evolving demands of healthcare systems. Today, preparing students in digital competencies is no longer just advantageous but may soon become essential for the next generation of nurses to navigate and lead within technology-driven care environments.
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Copyright
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