Demographic Disparities in Nursing Informatics Competencies: Implications for Nursing Care Quality in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis

Abstract

Background:  Nursing informatics competency (NIC), the ability to effectively use digital tools and health information systems, is a critical determinant of care quality and patient safety in modern healthcare. In Ghana, where digital health infrastructure is expanding, disparities in NIC remain poorly understood, especially across demographic groups. Despite policy efforts and curricular revisions by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, wide variability exists in informatics readiness among nurses. The lack of demographic-specific insights into NIC hinders the design of targeted interventions, potentially compromising care quality and patient safety.

Objective: The study investigated demographic disparties in NIC among nurses in Ghana and examined the implications of these disparities for delivering quality nursing care

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 360 registered nurses and midwives from three hospitals in the Secondi-Takoradi Metropolitan. Stratified random sampling was employed, and data were collected using the Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Scale (NICAS). Independent t-test and ANOVA were performed using SPSS v27.

Results:  Statistical analyses revealed significant disparities in nursing informatics competencies across multiple demographic variables. Gender differences were significant only in informatics skills (t_(175.71) = 2.054, p = .041, d = 0.208), while profession, certification, education, age, and experience showed highly significant effects across all three competency domains (p < .001), with large effect sizes for profession (e.g., informatics knowledge d = –0.89) and experience (e.g., informatics knowledge η² = 0.171). Nurses with more advanced education, longer experience, and certification consistently demonstrated higher competencies, whereas workplace location showed minimal impact, with only informatics knowledge showing a statistically significant but small difference (F_{(2, 357)} = 3.052, p = .048, η² =0.017).

Conclusion:  The study recommends incorporating experiential learning into NIC training. The government must realign national informatics training policy toward a modular, skill-based approach rather than age-based assumptions. Again, performance-based assessments in NIC evaluation to enhance real-world competency and patient safety outcomes must be embedded