Exploring perceptions of digital technology and digital skills among newly registered nurses and clinical managers.

Why you should read this article: • To gain insight into the views and perceptions of nurses regarding digital technology and digital skills • To recognise that using digital technology is likely to have both advantages and drawbacks for patient care • To acknowledge the need for nurses to receive appropriate and accessible digital literacy training. Background: Digital technology has an increasing role in healthcare, but staff lack opportunities to develop their digital skills and there is a lack of research on education and training in digital technology for staff. Aim: To explore nurses' perceptions of the use of digital technology in their practice and to identify the digital skills required by newly registered nurses to work in a digitally enabled environment. Method: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted on an online communication platform with nine participants – four newly registered nurses and five senior nurses working in clinical and/or management roles. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Several barriers and facilitators to the use of digital technology were identified, including around infrastructure, time, skills, training, support, leadership, familiarity and confidence. The use of digital technology may enhance care consistency and increase patient autonomy, but it may also erode nurse-patient relationships. Conclusion: Digital technology can enhance patient care but organisational barriers, notably in relation to digital literacy training, need to be addressed for nurses to fully adopt it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]