LEVEL OF E-COMPETENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background

E-competence has become essential for academic achievement and continuous learning, particularly in health-related disciplines like nursing. Despite its importance, there is a lack of research exploring level of E- competence relates to academic motivation and lifelong learning among nursing students.

Objectives: To assess the level of E-competence and its associated factors among undergraduate nursing students in Karachi, Pakistan.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students in Dow Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, DUHS Karachi. The study duration was four months from March 2025 to June 2025 and study population was all undergraduate nursing students enrolled in Bachelor of Nursing. A total of 384 nursing students were recruited through purposive sampling technique. Inclusion criteria: All nursing students from Year I to Year IV and willing to consent in the study. Exclusion criteria: Who were absent at the time of data collection. Data was collected using a well-structured, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised two sections:1) Demographic Information. 2) Level of E-Competence. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.

Results:

The present study found that nearly half (44.8%) of the nursing students exhibited a low level of E -competence with mean domain scores of knowledge 47.4%, skills 45.3%, and attitude 41.7%.  Factors like age, gender, year of study, and digital literacy training were significantly (p-value < 0.05) associated with E-competence levels. Moreover, older students, males, advanced-year students, and those with digital literacy training showed higher E-competence.

Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students showed low e-competence in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Higher competence was associated with older age, male gender, senior year of study, and prior digital literacy training.