Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing as Perceived by ICU Nurses in Bangladesh and Its Related Factors

Abstract

This descriptive study purposed to examine Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (TCCN) as perceived by Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses in Bangladesh, and to examine the relationship between TCCN and selected factors (nurses’ age, level of nursing education, length of working experience, continuing education and training, and self-awareness). One hundred and twenty ICU nurses at tertiary level public hospitals in Dhaka city participated in this study. The Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing Inventory (TCCNI), and Nurses’ Self-Awareness Questionnaire (NSAQ) were used as data collection tools. The content of each tool was validated by three experts with reliability yielding a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .80 for the TCCNI and of .83 for the NSAQ. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation and independent t-test. The results of this study showed that the mean score of nurses’ perception regarding TCCN was high level (M = 4.14, SD = 0.34). Among the five assumptions of TCCN, four assumptions were at high level, but only one assumption, “knowing a person is a process of nursing allowing for continuous appreciation of persons” was at moderate level (M = 3.35, SD = 0.37). Regarding the five selected factors namely nurses’ age, level of nursing education, length of working experience, continuing education and training, and self-awareness, only the nurses’ self-awareness was significantly and moderately correlated with nurses’ perception on TCCN (r = 0.42, p < 0.01). The study showed that the ICU nurses in Bangladesh had high perception or agreement on the TCCN, and that this perception was related to their self-awareness. This research evidence can serve as fundamental data for developing critical care nursing practice in Bangladesh.