A Qualitative Exploration of the Security Practices of Registered Nurses

A Qualitative Exploration of the Security Practices of Registered Nurses by Beth Ann Savage MSN, Duquesne University, 1995 BSN, LaRoche College, 1989 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy College of Management and Technology Walden University April 2017 Abstract Increased breach occurrences in healthcare cause concern for health information as reported by the Federal Government. Significant effort, regulations, and safeguards are in place to protect the systems used in the healthcare industry. Employee handling of security remains an area of vulnerability related to security protocols. The unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT) served as the model for this qualitativeIncreased breach occurrences in healthcare cause concern for health information as reported by the Federal Government. Significant effort, regulations, and safeguards are in place to protect the systems used in the healthcare industry. Employee handling of security remains an area of vulnerability related to security protocols. The unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT) served as the model for this qualitative exploratory study with the purpose of understanding registered nurse (RN) perceptions and lived experiences related to IT security. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 participants from the Three Rivers Chapter American Association Critical Care Nurses. Transcribed data were analyzed with a priori codes aligned to the constructs of UTAUT and emergent themes. The emergent themes from the RNs’ lived experiences revealed perceptions of IT security mishandling, including walking away from the computer without log-off, and sharing of accounts through single sign on authenticated badges. Strategic planning for the organizational IT security may be strengthened due to the insight about the RNs’ workflow related to IT security. Understanding employee perceptions, expressed intentions, and self-reported behaviors to IT security allows for the ability as managers to apply that knowledge to IT security systems, access methods, and implement procedures that will provide for increased organizational IT security and increased patient confidence. The social change from this work may provide contributions to the development of IT infrastructure systems for healthcare helping to create and maintain continued access to and availability of electronic medical records and data for increasing numbers of people who need health maintenance and care. A Qualitative Exploration of the Security Practices of Registered Nurses by Beth Ann Savage MSN, Duquesne University, 1995 BSN, LaRoche College, 1989 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy College of Management and Technology Walden University April 2017 Dedication I dedicate this study to my parents and grandparents who taught me that the pursuit of a formal education is a privilege. Once attained, that education is something no one can take away, but it should be given away through sharing. My parents instilled in me a love for learning, a passion for practicing what I have learned, and an obligation to share the knowledge I gain. I have been blessed to have them as my first educators, having them help me build the foundation for all I have done in my life. Acknowledgments I would like to thank the many family members, friends, and colleagues for the roles they took in supporting me while making sure I got to the finish line of this journey. A special thank you to Tim, Ben, Meg, and Timmy. Tim helped protect my time and sanity throughout. Ben, Meg, and Timmy together all made it possible for me to laugh and get over hurdles when I needed it most. I love you all dearly and appreciate that you understood me giving up family time to accomplish my goals. Thanks to my friends and colleagues who gave me insight when I needed it Kathy, Char, Patty, and John; they helped push me through. Thanks to those mentoring nurses who planted the seed of advanced education long ago, Joann, Meg, Ginny, and Linda, I am forever grateful. My colleagues who inspired me in the world of informatics, Chris, Beth, and Marianne, thank you for your passion. Thanks to the Carpenter’s Club, my dear colleagues who have and are traveling the same road in learning, Cheers! Special thanks to all the nurses working every day caring for patients and trying to do the “right thing” with IT security. And finally, I acknowledge and thank my committee. The stars were aligned when my committee was established because I was bestowed with the best chair I could possibly have, Dr. Jean Gordon, who supported me every step of the way through this dissertation. I was honored to have Dr. Robert DeYoung as my committee member who was engaged and provided detailed feedback and Dr. Janice Spangenburg as the URR for my work. I appreciate the contribution that each of them made in the creation of this final dissertation. My education is well beyond scholarly. The lessons I gained extend into managing work and life. I am and will be forever thankful for this journey.