AGM Speaker: The Effects of Implementation Leadership on Nurses' Use of mHealth in Practice

Presenter: Charlene Ronquillo RN, MSN

Date: September 25th, 2020

Time: 12pm EST

Abstract: 

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of first-level leaders’ implementation leadership characteristics on nurses’ intention to use and actual use of mHealth in practice while controlling for nurses’ individual characteristics, voluntariness, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use of mHealth.

Background: The use of mobile technologies in healthcare (mHealth) has increased exponentially since widespread availability of smartphones.  Current understanding of nurses’ mHealth use focuses on individual-level factors.  There is a need to consider broader contextual factors in shaping mHealth use.  One group that may influence nurses’ mHealth use are first-level leaders, individuals who are responsible for implementing mHealth.  Drawing from implementation science and informed by the importance of leadership in nursing, this study examined the impact of implementation leadership characteristics of first-level leaders on nurses’ use of mHealth in practice.

Method: A cross-sectional exploratory correlational survey study of registered nurses in Canada (N = 288) was conducted between January and June 2018.  Nurses were eligible to participate if they provided direct care in any setting and used employer provided mHealth in practice. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted for the two outcome variables, intention to use and actual use.

Results: The implementation leadership characteristics of first-level leaders influenced nurses’ intention to use and actual use of mHealth, with two moderating effects found.  Implementation leadership had a greater influence on the intention to use mHealth among nurses with an RN diploma or Bachelor of Nursing as compared to nurses with a Graduate degree.  For participants of older ages, implementation leadership had less of an influence on nurses’ actual use of mHealth.