Nurses’ Perceptions of Telemedicine Adoption in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

With telemedicine technology, off-site expert clinicians can consult in real time with bedside nurses and providers. The success of telemedicine may depend on its acceptance by bedside nurses and providers. To compare nurses’ perceptions of telemedicine in 2 intensive care units (ICUs) at Emory University Hospital, an academic medical center, and to determine the relation between nurses’ years of ICU experience and their perceptions of telemedicine in the hospital’s ICUs (Emory e-ICU Center). This study used a descriptive correlational design. Nurses in the 2 units completed a demographic form and a questionnaire about their perceptions of the Emory e-ICU Center. A total of 60 participants completed the study (30 nurses from each unit). Among the entire sample, the perception scores ranged from 2.4 to 5.0, with a mean score of 3.8 (SD, 0.6). Perception scores were significantly higher for nurses in the acute respiratory ICU than for those in the cardiovascular ICU; nurses in the acute respiratory ICU had spent less time working in an ICU. No statistically significant correlation was found between nurses’ years of experience in an ICU and their perception scores. This correlation was also not significant within each unit. Nurses’ experience with telemedicine in the ICU also did not correlate significantly with perception scores. Despite differences in nurses’ years of experience, the perceptions of the Emory e-ICU Center did not differ significantly among nurses.