Smartphone Use in Healthcare Settings Among Nurses

This study assessed patterns of smartphone use among nurses and evaluated its impact on clinical performance and patient safety in healthcare settings in Egypt, using a convergent mixed-methods design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2025 and February 2026 across diverse clinical settings at Alexandria University Hospitals, including critical and emergency care, medical-surgical wards, operating theaters, outpatient clinics, home care services, and psychiatric support units. Of 900 nurses invited, 368 completed the online questionnaire via Google Forms (response rate: 40.9%). Quantitative data assessed nurses' patterns of smartphone use and its impact on patient care using an adapted validated scale. Qualitative data were collected through two open-ended narrative questions exploring smartphone-related clinical incidents and recommendations for safe use. A total of 105 clinical incidents attributed to smartphone distraction were identified and categorized into four themes, while 176 respondents provided actionable recommendations categorized into five strategic pillars for safe clinical integration.

NCT Number	NCT07449533
Lead Sponsor	Alexandria University
Conditions	Patient Safety, Clinical Communication, Nursing Care, Medical Errors, Mobile Applications
Enrollment	368 participants
Start Date	2025-12-01
Primary Completion	2026-01-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-02-26 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-22