Nurses' satisfaction with use of a personal digital assistants with a mobile nursing information system in China.

BACKGROUND

Personal digital assistants, technology with various functions, have been applied in international clinical practice. Great benefits in reducing medical errors and enhancing the efficiency of clinical work have been achieved, but little research has investigated nurses' satisfaction with the use of personal digital assistants.

AIM

To investigate nurses' satisfaction with use of personal digital assistants, and to explore the predictors of this.

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey targeting nurses who used personal digital assistants in a comprehensive tertiary hospital in Beijing.

RESULTS

A total of 383 nurses were recruited in this survey in 2015. The total score of nurses' satisfaction with use of personal digital assistants was 238.91 (SD 39.25). Nurses were less satisfied with the function of documentation, compared with the function of administering medical orders. The time length of using personal digital assistants, academic degree, and different departments predicted nurses' satisfaction towards personal digital assistant use (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Nurses were satisfied with the accuracy of administering medical orders and the safety of recording data. The stability of the wireless network and efficiency related to nursing work were less promising. To some extent, nurses with higher education and longer working time with personal digital assistants were more satisfied with them.