Learning Objective #1: Determine the extent to which temperament affects the use of technology by nursing students

Learning Objective #2: Relate the results of nursing students’ effectiveness with mobile technology as influenced by their experiences with it

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The use of mobile technology is gaining support in the health care sector. Yet, nursing students often depend on technology being anchored in the agency settings so that support for use and troubleshooting is accessible. Independence and expertise in the use of technology is theoretically determined by temperament and experience. The more experience a student has, the more likely a student will use it. Yet, the tendency to gain more experience with technology is likely to be temperament-driven. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of nursing students' temperament, technology ability, and the use of mobile technology in a community-oriented clinical education course. Ninety students completed the Survey of Student Technology Ability and Kiersey's Temperament Sorter prior to instruction in the Nightingale Tracker mobile technology system containing the Omaha Classification System software. The students then implemented the use of the technology in five clinical settings over a one-month rotation, completing the Nightingale Tracker Interface Questionnaire at mid-rotation and end-of-rotation of clinical experiences. The students were placed into the four temperament groups (artisan, guardian, rational and idealist) based on their answers to the behavior-based temperament sorter. Two hypotheses were tested. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the significance of group differences on the use of technology variables, and a multiple discriminant analysis was conducted to determine the most discriminating dimensions for differentiating among the four groups. Findings from the MANOVA were significant for overall differences among the use of technology variables. Specifically, unfriendly/friendly and undependable/dependable were responsible for most of the variance by the DFA and the maximal discrimination was between the rational group and the other three groups. Implications for nursing education and practice include the need for determination of temperament to predict nursing students' ability with mobile technology, given the current nursing shortage.