The relationship between technology interaction proximity and digital literacy among nurses

The increasing use of digital technologies in today's healthcare system necessitates that nurses effectively utilize digital tools and enhance their competencies in this field. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between nurses' levels of technology interaction proximity and their levels of digital literacy. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 234 nurses working in a state hospital in Adıyaman who voluntarily participated in the research. The Nurse Information Form, the Digital Literacy Scale (DLS), and the Technology Interaction Proximity Scale (TIPS) were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed for normality testing. The normal distribution of the data was also evaluated through skewness and kurtosis coefficients, and analyses were continued with parametric tests. According to the descriptive statistics, the mean DLS score was 64.38±9.53, while the mean TIPS score was 40.79±5.84. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between digital literacy and technology interaction proximity (r=0.615; p<0.05). In conclusion, there is a strong and significant relationship between nurses' levels of technology interaction proximity and their digital literacy. Accordingly, it is recommended that continuous and practice-based training programs be developed to enhance the digital skills of nurses working in healthcare institutions. Keywords: Digital Literacy; Technology Interaction; Nursing; Educational Programs.