WHAT DO NURSING STUDENTS EXPECT FROM ICT IN THEIR LEARNING AND PRACTICE?

The development of science due to the progressive technological discoveries led to significant changes in the people health care, requiring a more complex and demanding nursing care. Nowadays, in the upbringing of nurses, they may use several types of equipment and educational technologies that benefit from information and communication technologies (ICT), whose goal is to facilitate the learning process. Most of the emerging tools provide high-quality learning experiences effectively and economically. The use of ICT supplements traditional instructional methods. The role of nursing education is to prepare the future nurses to work in several environments. So, nursing schools need to train nurses to work with different technologies and applications (apps), in a digital world. In this paper, we aim to understand the importance attributed to ICT in the learning process among nursing students. According to the methodology adopted we performed individual interviews with nursing students. Data were treated through content analysis, after being transcribed and analyzed, using a typical statistical software. Findings revealed that students emphasize the importance of ICT in the academical process and the advantages it brings to them as future health professionals. Nursing students most usually use the computer and cell phone with the goal of doing research, gather information and interact with peers, allowing communication and for autonomous study. ICT is understood as a means for a quick and easy access to information, facilitating the learning process and contributing to take decisions in the nursing care based upon scientific evidence. It is also central in the communication between nurse and patient, and between health professionals, promoting the continuity of care and support patients with chronic diseases. In sum, nursing students consider ICT essential as a facilitator in the research and communication, not only in an academic context (in theoretical and practical classes) but also in health units' context.