The Role of Digital Literacy and Informatics Competency in the Implementation of Evidence-Based Nursing

Jarrahi, N.

doi:10.58209/hehp.14.2.291

The Role of Digital Literacy and Informatics Competency in the Implementation of Evidence-Based Nursing

Document Type : Systematic Review

Author

N. Jarrahi

Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Science, Yasuj, Iran

10.58209/hehp.14.2.291

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the relationship between digital literacy and informatics competency and the implementation of evidence-based nursing.
Information & Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The research question was formulated based on the PICO framework. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and the Ovid Nursing Database, as well as in gray literature sources. Studies published between 2010 and 2025 in Persian or English that examined the relationship between digital literacy or informatics competency and evidence-based practice were included. After screening and assessing the studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 eligible studies—including cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational, mixed-methods, and systematic review studies—from 9 countries were included in the final synthesis. Data were collected using a data extraction form and analyzed through narrative synthesis.
Findings: Nurses’ attitudes toward evidence-based practice were positive, but its actual implementation was low to moderate, indicating a knowledge-practice gap. Digital literacy and informatics competency were the strongest predictors of evidence-based practice implementation, with correlations ranging from 0.38–0.68 and explaining 20–53% of the variance. The main barriers identified included a lack of authority, time and resource constraints, and poor digital infrastructure.
Conclusion: Nurses with higher levels of digital literacy use evidence to a greater extent in clinical practice.

Keywords

Evidence-Based Nursing

Systematic Review

Nursing Informatics

Subjects

Health Literacy

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