{"id":13469,"date":"2024-09-22T21:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T21:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjni.net\/journal\/?p=13469"},"modified":"2025-04-14T07:36:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T07:36:46","slug":"cyberphobia-to-idealism-student-attitudes-toward-healthcare-technology-and-engagement-in-online-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjni.net\/journal\/?p=13469","title":{"rendered":"Cyberphobia to Idealism: Student Attitudes Toward Healthcare Technology and Engagement in Online Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by Pinar Ozmizrak<\/a>, MS, PhD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luigi Boccuto, MD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracy Brock Lowe, RN, MS, PhD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jane DeLuca, RN, MS, PhD, CPNP-PC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clemson University School of Nursing, Clemson, SC 29634, USA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citation:<\/strong> Ozmizrak, P., Boccuto., L., Brock Lowe, T., & DeLuca, J. (2024). Cyberphobia to idealism: Student attitudes toward healthcare technology and engagement in online learning. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 19<\/em>(3).  https:\/\/cjni.net\/journal\/?p=13469<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Cyberphobia<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing education has incorporated more digital elements, and recent students have participated in online or hybrid courses. Previous research shows that undergraduate nursing students in a hybrid online US university healthcare science course strongly support the use of computers and technology in healthcare through high scores on the Pretest for Attitudes Toward Computers in Healthcare (PATCH) assessment scale (Kaminski, 2011). Research also shows that nursing students engage with online learning activities through interest, perceived helpfulness in understanding the material, and relevance to future nursing practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This correlational analysis sought to determine if students with a higher affinity for technology, measured by higher PATCH scores, would rate their engagement with online learning activities more highly. Among the class of N = 118 nursing students, those who scored the highest level on the PATCH scale\u2014level 6, an \u201cidealistic view\u201d of computers in healthcare\u2014rated activities on average significantly higher than students who scored level 5, an \u201centhusiastic view\u201d (p=0.012) and level 4, a \u201crealistic view\u201d (p=0.006). The coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.91) revealed a strong positive relationship of PATCH level contributing to engagement rating. Overall, the difference in engagement with healthcare-focused online learning activities is highly attributable to students\u2019 affinity for technology, as measured by the PATCH scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From electronic medical records to smartphone apps to treatment delivery, nurses use increasing amounts of technology in practice when caring for people\u2019s health. The integration of technology into care has important practical as well as philosophical implications for empowering nurses when faced with uses of technology to meet greater demands for efficiency and cost savings (Barnard, 2016<\/a>). Over time, nurses will face more challenges with additional technological developments such as AI and robotic enhancements in care delivery (Mansour & Nogues, 2022<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding and predicting nurses\u2019 affinity and use of technology is a longstanding topic of interest among nurses, nurse researchers, nurse educators, and corporate entities (Barchielli, et al., 2021<\/a>, Dykes & Chu, 2021<\/a>; Strudwick, 2015<\/a>). In this correlational analysis, the data sets from a hybrid online undergraduate nursing class on attitudes towards technology in healthcare (Ozmizrak et al., 2023<\/a>) and engagement with online learning activities (Ozmizrak, 2023<\/a>) were explored for potential relationships between nursing students\u2019 affinity for technology in healthcare and their engagement in online learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Previously, US university nursing students\u2019 perspectives towards the use of technology in healthcare were evaluated using the Pretest for Attitudes Toward Computers in Healthcare (PATCH)<\/em> assessment scale (Kaminski, 2011<\/a>; Ozmizrak et al., 2023<\/a>). The PATCH results in that study revealed that nursing students taking a hybrid online healthcare science course had the highest scores among reported studies of the PATCH scale administered to other nursing undergraduates (Alaban et al., 2020<\/a>; Atay et al., 2014<\/a>; Vijayalakshmi et al., 2014<\/a>). \u201cWith this study demonstrating that nursing students show support for technology in healthcare, future research can investigate if modernizing educational delivery through interactive digital coursework similarly achieves improvements in student engagement,\u201d (Ozmizrak et al., 2023<\/a>, p. 20). Results data from this PATCH study was used to assess students\u2019 preferences for incorporating technology in nursing and their affinity for online class activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 118 nursing students\u2019 distribution of PATCH level scores were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n