An Evaluation of Point of Care Tools by Nurses: How Do They Compare?

Objective:
To answer clinical questions quickly at bedsides, healthcare practitioners need point-of-care tools (PoCTs). This study compared three PoCTs from a nursing perspective to determine which resource best met the unique information needs of practicing registered nurses at a large midwestern university hospital.


Methods:
The PoCTs selected for review were ClinicalKey for Nursing, Nursing Reference Center Plus, and UpToDate. After informed consent was obtained prior to the start of the survey, participants were asked to choose one of three categories for clinical questions: guidelines and understanding of disease; assessment and diagnosis; and nursing interventions and medication information. Then they were given three clinical questions to answer using the PoCT, spending approximately three minutes per question. After they completed their searches, respondents returned to the survey to rate their experience using the PoCT in areas such as currency, layout, navigation, and use of filters. They also were asked to indicate familiarity with each PoCT, their overall opinions, and demographic information The authors recruited registered nurses at BLINDED through nursing hospital listservs and flyers in common areas asking them to complete the survey. The survey was open for the last six weeks of 2020. Participants were told the survey would take approximately half an hour. To encourage participation, nurses would have the option to enter a drawing for gift cards.


Results:
Participants ranged in experience from less than five years to over thirty with the majority being employed full-time as inpatient nurses. Approximately half of participants held a Bachelor’s, a third had a Masters, and the remainder either an Associate’s or a doctoral degree. Participants were most familiar with UpToDate, but average scores for for most areas were similar across all three PoCTs. The exception was filters in which UpToDate was favored. Answers to open ended questions suggest brand-recognition is a factor.

Conclusion

The perceptions of nurses towards PoCTs were markedly different than what had been anticipated by librarians. There is a clear need for education on both sides – nurses can better learn how to utilize these PoCTs and librarians can learn more about what type of information nurses are seeking.