Smartphone use among nursing students during clinical placements: a five-year comparison of use, distraction, and regulatory perceptions
4 affiliations
- 1Basque Nurse Education Research Group, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- 2Nursing School, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- 3Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Univ Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- 4Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Department of Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.
Abstract
Aim: To identify patterns of smartphone use among nursing students during clinical placements, examine perceptions of smartphone use as a professional tool and a source of distraction, explore attitudes towards smartphone use policies, and compare findings with data collected 5 years earlier.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study compared two independent cohorts of nursing students from a Spanish nursing school: Period I (2016/17; n = 234) and Period II (2023/24; n = 203). Data were collected using the same structured questionnaire, assessing smartphone use, distraction experiences, and attitudes towards restriction policies. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses were performed.
Results: Professional and academic smartphone use increased significantly over the five-year period, particularly for communication with healthcare professionals, access to clinical information, use of healthcare applications and academic tasks. Social media use remained highly prevalent in both cohorts. Despite greater smartphone use, self-reported distraction did not increase, while distraction caused by peers decreased. Students in Period II expressed less support for restrictive smartphone policies, particularly in hospital settings. Professional and academic smartphone use were positively associated with perceived work efficiency and less restrictive attitudes towards smartphone use.
Conclusion: Smartphones have become increasingly integrated into nursing students’ clinical learning experiences. Greater professional and academic use was not accompanied by increased perceived distraction, suggesting an ongoing normalization of smartphones as educational and clinical tools. The findings support promoting digital professionalism and responsible smartphone use rather than relying primarily on restrictive policies.
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BibTeX
@article{yuste2026smartphone,
title = {{Smartphone use among nursing students during clinical placements: a five-year comparison of use, distraction, and regulatory perceptions}},
author = {Sergio Yuste and Jagoba Zarandona and Susana Cariñanos-Ayala and Isabel De Jesus Oliveira and Itziar Hoyos Cillero},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987602},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987602/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Smartphone use among nursing students during clinical placements: a five-year comparison of use, distraction, and regulatory perceptions
AU - Sergio Yuste
AU - Jagoba Zarandona
AU - Susana Cariñanos-Ayala
AU - Isabel De Jesus Oliveira
AU - Itziar Hoyos Cillero
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987602
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987602/full
AB - Aim: To identify patterns of smartphone use among nursing students during clinical placements, examine perceptions of smartphone use as a professional tool and a source of distraction, explore attitudes towards smartphone use policies, and compare findings with data collected 5 years earlier. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study compared two independent cohorts of nursing students from a Spanish nursing school: Period I (2016/17; n = 234) and Period II (2023/24; n = 203). Data were collected using the same structured questionnaire, assessing smartphone use, distraction experiences, and attitudes towards restriction policies. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses were performed. Results: Professional and academic smartphone use increased significantly over the five-year period, particularly for communication with healthcare professionals, access to clinical information, use of healthcare applications and academic tasks. Social media use remained highly prevalent in both cohorts. Despite greater smartphone use, self-reported distraction did not increase, while distraction caused by peers decreased. Students in Period II expressed less support for restrictive smartphone policies, particularly in hospital settings. Professional and academic smartphone use were positively associated with perceived work efficiency and less restrictive attitudes towards smartphone use. Conclusion: Smartphones have become increasingly integrated into nursing students’ clinical learning experiences. Greater professional and academic use was not accompanied by increased perceived distraction, suggesting an ongoing normalization of smartphones as educational and clinical tools. The findings support promoting digital professionalism and responsible smartphone use rather than relying primarily on restrictive policies.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -