The Role of Nurse Managers in the Adoption of Health Information Technology: Findings From a Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the role of nurse managers in supporting point-of-care nurses' health information technology (IT) use and identify strategies employed by nurse managers to improve adoption, while also gathering point-of-care nurses' perceptions of these strategies. BACKGROUND: Nurse managers are essential in facilitating point-of-care nurses' use of health IT; however, the underlying phenomenon for this facilitation remains unreported. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 10 nurse managers and 14 point-of-care nurses recruited from a mental health hospital environment in Ontario, Canada. Inductive and deductive content analyses were used to analyze the semistructured interviews. RESULTS: Nurse managers adopt the role of advocate, educator, and connector, using the following strategies communicating system updates, demonstrating use of health IT, linking staff to resources, facilitating education, and providing IT oversight. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse managers use a variety of strategies to support nurses' use of health IT. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of these strategies.