Computer and Information Literacy in Nursing as a Prerequisite for Financial Sustainability

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines information technology and information literacy of employees as one of the more essential prerequisites for creating smart hospitals, which are, on the other hand, a prerequisite for sustainable financial operations. Since nursing is the backbone of every hospital, research is focused on the nursing profession. Namely, if medical personnel do not know the basics of information and communication technology (ICT) and are incapable of recognizing, finding and structuring information into new knowledge and exchanging it with colleagues, an intelligent hospital is impossible, and the business is worse. For this reason, research was conducted to determine the state of computer and information literacy in the nursing field in hospitals in north-western Croatia. It was carried out in 2021, which determined the ratio of administrative work and health care and examined the level of ICT knowledge of nurses and technicians. Analysing the secondary, higher and higher medical school curriculum determined the current situation and required improvements. The research results showed that computer and information literate staff spend less time on administration; they estimate that there is not enough content on computer literacy in the existing curricula. The hospital's operations will also be efficient because the competencies of the nurses will enable better implementation of business processes and a better financial result for the hospital.