Nurses’ Information-Seeking Behavior

Abstract

Background: Continuous education is an important aspect for health professionals for maintaining and improving the quality of health care services. Nurses should use modern media and the internet to support patients and their families by providing safer and better quality of care. Wilson’s model is a useful tool in order to investigate nurses’ information-seeking behavior. Aim: The review of the literature and the modification of the Wilson`s model according to the needs of nurses. Method: A modified Wilson’s model was used and a literature review was performed via the international databases CINAHL, Medline, Science Direct, Scopus and Heal Link for the years 2000-2012. Of all the studies found, 34 were complying with the inclusion criteria and the aim of the present review. Results: Nurses’ main sources of information for patients’ nursing care and drugs’ prescription evaluation are their nursing colleagues and medical doctors. As major barriers, nurses reported lack of knowledge of informatics’ terminology as well as lack of skills in seeking information via databases. Conclusions: Nurses’ training in information seeking through internet and evaluation of the information is necessary for continuing nursing education and improvement of nursing care.