Impact of clinical information systems on nursing practice. Nurses' perspectives.

This article adds to the literature on the impact of computerized clinical information systems by asking nurses important questions about their nursing practices. A research tool was developed from collaborative work with clinicians who have used computers in their daily practice for more than two decades. A statewide study then was conducted on how nurses believed computer technology impacted their practice. This study also examined the different views that computer users and nonusers held. Questions were posed relating to resource consumption, nursing work practices, and professional and patient outcomes. It was found that nurses, whether computer naive or knowledgeable, clearly do not expect the technology to have negative impact on practice. The two groups differed mostly in the strength of their beliefs. One startling outcome, that slow computer response time delayed care, was identified within the computer-user group and direct action was taken as a result.