Objective: The aim of this descriptive correlational study was to evaluate the satisfaction levels of the nurses' clinical use of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in recording vital signs. Materials and Methods: A self-designed satisfaction scale that measured three factors (convenience, usefulness, and accessibility) was used to determine each nurse's satisfaction with the PDA. Results: The sample consisted of 196 nurses from a hospital with the nurses being somewhat satisfied with clinical use of PDA. The total mean score for the instrument (15 items) was 44.8 (SD = 9.04; range, 19 - 69). Nurses had the highest satisfaction with the usefulness of PDA (3.19 points) followed by the convenience (3.16 points) and accessibility (2.23 points) of the PDA. There were statistically significant differences in means between the charting nurses and clinical nurses (t = -245, p < 0.05) with the charting nurses having higher satisfaction with the PDA than clinical nurses. Nurses with longer clinical experience had higher satisfaction scores (r = 0.20, p < 0.05). The values of the PDA of clinical use for recording vital signs depended heavily on the technical specifications. Conclusion: According to the results, there is a need to take steps to improve PDA functions in nursing records and to investigate the cost-effectiveness of PDA in clinical use. (Tzu Chi Med J 2003; 15:97-103)
Objective: The aim of this descriptive correlational study was to evaluate the satisfaction levels of the nurses' clinical use of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in recording vital signs. Materials and Methods: A self-designed satisfaction scale that measured three factors (convenience, usefulness, and accessibility) was used to determine each nurse's satisfaction with the PDA. Results: The sample consisted of 196 nurses from a hospital with the nurses being somewhat satisfied with clinical use of PDA. The total mean score for the instrument (15 items) was 44.8 (SD = 9.04; range, 19 - 69). Nurses had the highest satisfaction with the usefulness of PDA (3.19 points) followed by the convenience (3.16 points) and accessibility (2.23 points) of the PDA. There were statistically significant differences in means between the charting nurses and clinical nurses (t = -245, p < 0.05) with the charting nurses having higher satisfaction with the PDA than clinical nurses. Nurses with longer clinical experience had higher satisfaction scores (r = 0.20, p < 0.05). The values of the PDA of clinical use for recording vital signs depended heavily on the technical specifications. Conclusion: According to the results, there is a need to take steps to improve PDA functions in nursing records and to investigate the cost-effectiveness of PDA in clinical use. (Tzu Chi Med J 2003; 15:97-103)