Beyond Basic Skills – Exploring the Informatics Competency of Clinical Nurses in Vietnam: A Single-Center Study

Background: Informatics competency is essential for nurses in the digital health era. However, there is limited evidence regarding the informatics skills of Vietnamese clinical nurses. As healthcare systems increasingly adopt electronic health records and data-driven decision-making, it is expected that nurses will integrate informatics into their daily practice. Understanding current competency levels is critical to guide educations, training, and policy development. Objectives: To assess the self-perceived informatics competency of clinical nurses and identify associated demographic and experiential factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale. The instrument evaluates 4 domains: basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills, information and knowledge management, ICT use in patient care delivery, and professional and regulatory accountability. The scale has demonstrated good validity and reliability in previous studies, and the Vietnamese version showed excellent internal consistency in pilot testing. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression. Results: A total of 175 clinical nurses participated in this study. The overall mean (SD) informatics competency score was 2.43 (0.49), indicating a moderate level of competency. The highest subscale score was in professional and regulatory accountability (mean 2.51), and the lowest score was in information and knowledge management (mean 2.36). Age, formal informatics education, frequency of social media use, and computer experience were significantly associated with competency level (P < .05). Conclusions: Vietnamese clinical nurses demonstrated moderate informatics competency, with key influencing factors identified. Targeted training and integration of informatics education into nursing curricula and professional development are recommended to enhance digital readiness in healthcare settings.