Nurses and internet health-related information: review on access and utility

PURPOSE: To review literature on the nurses’ use and access to Internet Health Related Information (HRI). There is relatively little evidence in published literature on barriers, attitudes and how nurses utilize online health-related information. METHODS: Literature search was carried-out on Cumulative Indexes to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Springer and Sage publications. The search timeframe has focused on the outburst of Internet usage between the years 2000 and 2014. RESULTS: Quality of available websites and databases containing health-related information vary widely in their accuracy, validity and reliability that require nurses to continuously evaluate their relevance. CONCLUSION: Emphasis on the necessity for training in the use of information technology is important to the nurses’ continuous professional development. Literature showed a strong evidence of the increased access to the Internet by nurses to retrieve information related to clinical practice, which in turns enhance the quality of care and communication among nurses.