Assessing digital competencies of Slovenian nurses in clinical practice: A pilot study

Background: Digitization brings innovative solutions to nursing practice in healthcare. Digital competencies and the application of knowledge in the field of digital technology are the key aspects of nurses' work. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the nurses' digital literacy. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental empirical research design was used. The survey was conducted on a sample of 51 nurses (36 women and 15 men). The questionnaire consisted of 25 statements related to knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward the use of digital technologies. The level of statistical significance (p) was set at ≤ 0.05. In addition to descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, chi-square test, and linear regression analysis were used. Results: Nurses demonstrated a high level of knowledge and skills in the use of digital technologies and expressed positive attitudes toward them (Me = 122, p < 0.001). Differences between genders were observed, with women achieving higher scores (x̄ = 113.73, s = 15.80) than men. Conclusion: Nurses are generally digitally competent and express positive attitudes toward the use of technology; however, further studies are needed. Nurses should continue to build on their existing knowledge of digital technologies, as this contributes to improved work processes and better patient care.