The incidence of technological stress among baccalaureate nurse educators using technology during course preparation and delivery

The concept of technology-related stress was first introduced in the 1980s when computers became more prevalent in the business and academic world. Nurse educators have been impacted by the rapid changes in technology in recent years. A review of the literature revealed no research studies that have been conducted to investigate the incidence of technological stress among nurse educators. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to describe the technological stressors that Louisiana baccalaureate nurse educators experienced while teaching nursing theory courses.

A researcher-developed questionnaire, the nurse educator technostress scale (NETS) was administered to a census sample of 311 baccalaureate nurse educators in Louisiana. Findings revealed that Louisiana baccalaureate nurse educators are experiencing technological stress. The variable, perceived administrative support for use of technology in the classroom, was a significant predictor in a regression model predicting Louisiana baccalaureate nurse educators’ technological stress (F=14.157, p<.001).