Types of ICT applications used and the skills’ level of nursing students in higher education: A cross-sectional survey

The healthcare system is increasingly becoming technology dependent; consequently, nurses in all regions of the world are expected to develop their information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and integrating ICT in the nursing curriculum is fundamental. This study aims to explore the types of ICT applications used and the skills level of nursing students at a selected university in South Africa. A non-experimental, descriptive quantitative research design was used in this study, and it was conducted at a selected university in South Africa. A total number of 150 nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and were analysed using SPSS version 25. The majority of the respondents reported being skilled in using Word processing application (Ms Word) (86.7%), Ms PowerPoint (70.7%), Moodle (81.3%), and online resources (74.7%). However, 82% reported not being skilled to use SPSS for data analysis, and 65.3% were not skilled in using reference manager applications (EndNote). Data indicated that there was a progressive increase in skills with the level of the study, with upper levels being more skilled than the lower levels (K = 22.625, p = .001). The ownership of digital devices, such as laptops and tablets, was significantly associated with the skills level of using ICT applications (p < .05). The use of technology in nursing education is essential to prepare future nurses for the information technology-rich workplace.