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Nursing is the largest health care profession in the US, with an estimated 4.7 million registered nurses—89% of whom are actively employed. Yet, workforce projections from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlight nationwide shortages of full-time nurses, including:

• Registered nurses (RNs): 108,960 shortage

• Licensed practical nurses (LPNs): 245,950 shortage

Digital fluency, or digital literacy in nursing, is more important than ever because it can mitigate some of the negative impacts of the nursing shortage. By enabling more efficient documentation, communication, and care coordination, digital tools can help nurses manage growing workloads and maintain care quality.

Ready to learn about digital literacy in nursing? Discover resources that define digital literacy, explore which technologies and digital tools MSN-prepared nurses use in clinical practice, and learn why digital literacy matters for nurses.

What Is Digital Literacy in Nursing?

Digital literacy in nursing is the ability to document, locate, use, and assess health data electronically in ways that support safe, evidence-based patient care. Developing digital literacy has never been more important, given staffing shortages and patients’  increasing access to digital health technologies. As a result, digital literacy must be an ongoing part of a nurse professional’s lifelong learning process. 

The term was coined in 1997 by technology writer Paul Gilster to describe “the ability to understand and use information in a variety of formats from a wide range of sources when presented through computers.” The American Library Association (ALA) later refined the definition as the ability “to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information.” 

More recently, authors publishing in Nursing Administration Quarterly in 2025 define digital literacy in nurse management as the “knowledge, skills, and attitudes that allow the use of technologies to complete tasks, solve problems, communicate, and manage information.” Put another way: Digital literacy in nursing is the broad ability to use digital tools safely, critically, ethically, and effectively in nurse training, practice, communication, and decision-making. 

How Does Digital Literacy Show Up in Nursing?

In practice, this means navigating a range of digital tools to maintain electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic patient records (EPRs), conduct telehealth visits (nursing care provided at a distance), perform remote patient monitoring (RPM), and update data-rich workflows—all while keeping up with emerging digital technologies such as AI health care tools.

At a glance, digital literacy in nursing can include fluency with:

• Health care delivery platforms

• Telehealth tools

• Secure health care messaging

• AI-enabled health care tools

• Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

• Automated medication dispensing cabinets

• Online health information sources

• Safe and confidential digital health documentation

Nurses with high digital literacy are more likely to support effective, evidence-based care and to recognize the ethical implications and risks of digital technologies, including online privacy issues and threats to health information security. 

Digital Nursing Technology that Professionals Need to Know

Nursing professionals must be ready to keep pace with evolving tools and systems as health care technology continues to advance. Key technologies that shape digital literacy for nurses include:

• Virtual nursing and telemedicine: Telemedicine has reshaped how patients and providers connect, making care more accessible and helping address some of the limitations of traditional in-person visits. 

• AI tools for nursing: New AI-powered tools can support nurses across a range of responsibilities, including virtual observation (AI-VO) for monitoring high-risk patients, analyzing patient data to help identify potential conditions earlier, prioritizing patients based on the seriousness of their symptoms, and streamlining administrative work.

• Augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) in training and treatment: AR and VR are becoming increasingly common in nursing education and practice, giving students and professionals opportunities to practice clinical procedures and emergency response in realistic, low-risk simulated settings.

• Supporting patient digital health literacy: As part of nurse-patient communication across digital platforms, nurses may need to understand tools well enough to identify and assist patients with limited digital health literacy. 

• Electronic health records (EHRs): EHR systems are central to patient documentation and data management, and inefficiencies in these systems can contribute to administrative burden and clinician burnout. 

Digital Literacy vs. Nursing Informatics

Digital literacy in nursing and nursing informatics are related but distinct concepts. A Nature article explains the difference in its Nursing Informatics Education and Competencies article:

• Digital literacy is the ability to effectively use digital tools and resources to locate, evaluate, and communicate information.

• Nursing informatics is the integration of clinical knowledge and information technology skills to support patient care and data management.

The simplest difference is this: Digital literacy refers to how effectively a nurse can use digital tools, while nursing informatics refers to how nurses help design, evaluate, govern, and improve the systems and data infrastructure behind care. Digital literacy is a broad competency many nurses need; nursing informatics is the deeper, systems-level application of nursing expertise to health technology and information management. 

For example, a nurse demonstrating digital literacy might use an EHR, evaluate AI outputs cautiously, communicate through digital platforms, and use technology ethically in care. A nursing informatics professional, on the other hand, might help set governance rules for AI in health care settings, improve health data workflows, interpret dashboards for decision-making, or shape how digital systems are implemented across an organization. Nurses interested in an informatics career should consider joining specialist organizations such as the American Nursing Informatics Association.

*Digital Literacy in Nursing Is a Key Nursing Competency

Today, professional nursing organizations recognize digital literacy not merely as a “nice to have” but as a core MSN-level competency. This is reflected in standards set by leading nursing organizations across the field.

Professional Organizations Advocate for Digital Literacy in Nursing

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) sets national standards for professional nurses at all levels, and its Master’s Education Essentials explicitly includes informatics and health care technologies as core competencies for nurses. 

According to the AACN, competent nurses are defined as those who can:

• Understand and explain the health technology tools used to provide care to patients, communities, and populations.

• Gather health data securely using technology to generate information and foster knowledge.

• Provide nursing care across traditional, digital, and hybrid health care settings and to diverse populations.

• Document care and communication digitally across patients, providers, and care teams.

• Use technology ethically and legally in accordance with all professional and regulatory standards in the delivery of care.

Similarly, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)’s Nurse Leader Competencies include knowledge of digital health, informatics, and AI leadership as a crucial part of the “Knowing the Health Care Environment” competency domain.

Regulation Changes May Soon Require Digital Literacy in Nursing

Emerging research on nursing regulation in the digital era suggests that AI and rapid changes in digital health delivery are reshaping expectations of competence, regulation, and continuing professional development. As a result, digital literacy is increasingly a career-readiness requirement—not just an academic competency.

AI Tools in Nursing: Definitions and Statistics

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are driving significant changes in nursing practice. Predictive monitoring systems can alert nurses to early signs of patient deterioration. Natural language processing (NLP) tools for clinical documentation can turn large amounts of free-text notes into more usable, searchable, and structured information — reducing documentation burdens and rapidly improving chart review. These technologies represent more than incremental advancements; AI is already reshaping how nurses deliver care.

In a 2025 review published in Contemporary Nurse, nurse technology researchers outline key AI concepts relevant to clinical practice. Terms to know include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) involves developing computer systems that can simulate aspects of human thinking. In health care, AI can support tasks such as diagnosing illness, forecasting patient outcomes, and tailoring treatment plans to individual needs.

• Machine learning (ML) is a branch of AI that enables systems to learn from data and improve over time. In health care, ML usage can help speed up the analysis of medical images and reports for diagnostic purposes.

• Large language models (LLMs) are a type of NLP system trained on large datasets to understand and generate human-like text. In health care, they can assist with complex queries and decision support.

• Human-AI collaboration centers on a partnership between health care workers and AI tools. This approach treats AI as a source of support rather than a substitute for clinicians. AI output still needs human review. When used well, this collaboration can contribute to better patient care and outcomes.

Statistics on Digital Literacy in Nursing

To contextualize digital literacy in nursing, consider the following statistics:

Nursing Education and Digital Skill Preparation Statistics

• 53% of nursing programs plan to use VR in nursing education, and 49% plan to invest in generative AI (GenAI) use by 2030, according to a survey by Wolters Kluwer Health and the National League for Nursing.

• VR use in nursing education may reduce anxiety among new graduates; a pilot study by the ANIA suggests that VR training may improve RN confidence and reduce error rates.

AI in Nursing Statistics

• 40% of U.S. community hospitals report using AI or ML to address operational challenges, including forecasting patient demand, automating routine tasks, scheduling staff, predicting staffing needs, and optimizing clinical workflows.

• One hospital reported a 15% reduction in falls after implementing AI-VO technology, saving the hospital an estimated $2 million and alleviating nursing strain.

• Only 22% of nurses trust AI-empowered tools to safely support patient care, perhaps because 40% of nurses report having no meaningful input into which AI tools are adopted in their workplaces.

National Nurses United (NNU) Survey on AI and Technology in Nursing Practice

• Only 40% of registered nurses and NNU members said they trust their employers to adopt AI with a safety-first approach, with 60% expressing distrust in their employers’ prioritization of patient safety in new AI technology adoption.

• 50% of those same NNU survey participants reported their employer uses algorithms to analyze EHR data to measure patient acuity (a metric of how fragile or ill a patient is); 69% of those said the AI-generated acuity assessments are incorrect.

• 12% said their handoffs are generated with AI support; among those nurses, 48% say the automated handoff did not match their clinical assessment.

These statistics highlight both the potential of digital tools, including AI, to improve patient outcomes and the ongoing concerns nurses have about adopting new digital tools without having a say in their design and implementation. 

Why Is Digital Literacy Important for MSN Graduates?

There are several reasons digital literacy in nursing matters, particularly for MSN graduates:

1. Digital Literacy Supports Safe, High-Quality Patient Care

Nurses with strong digital literacy skills support patient care through:

• Accurate documentation

• More effective clinical decision support

• Safer communication across care teams

• Ongoing monitoring of outcomes and care processes

2. Virtual Care Delivery Requires Nurse Digital Literacy

Research on virtual care and telehealth education shows that health care professionals need specific competencies for remote communication, digital assessment, and technology-enabled care delivery. 

Patients increasingly seek health care virtually, whether through real-time telehealth appointments or by accessing their electronic records through patient portals and communicating with nurse providers asynchronously. 

The Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2027 from the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes “digital determinants of health,” such as digital literacy and access to technology and broadband. These factors are relevant to MSN graduates who may supervise, teach, coordinate, or deliver care in online or hybrid settings.

3. Digital Literacy May Decrease Nurse Emotional Stress and Burnout

The American Hospital Association identifies emotional stress as the top driver of nurse resignations, increasing the risk of nurse turnover by 68%. Nurses cite high physical demands and insufficient hospital staffing as the top contributors to their stress. If digital literacy can reduce operational challenges for clinical teams, such as inefficient workflows and documentation burdens, then it may be a key component in reducing nurse stress, burnout rates, and attrition. 

How MSN Graduates Can Lead Digital Change

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) equips nurses with the advanced knowledge and skills needed for specialized professional roles, allowing them to advance their careers in targeted areas such as informatics, health cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital/data literacy.

Through in-depth study, graduates of MSN programs are prepared to shape health care policy, lead care teams, and drive innovation across a range of health care settings, including digital health care environments. 

MSN graduates can lead digital change in their health care organizations by:

• Leading EHR optimization

• Supporting staff adoption of new tools

• Translating between clinical and technical teams

• Advocating for patient-centered technology design

Together, these capabilities position MSN-prepared nurses to play a central role in shaping how digital technologies are implemented and used to improve patient care.