Exploration of the link between speaking english as a foreign language and Internet use among nurses in Israel

We explored whether speaking English as a foreign language may be one of the barriers that discourage nurses from using the Internet for professional purposes. Two hundred and three Israeli registered hospital nurses, with or without academic education in nursing, who spoke English as a foreign language, reported usage frequency and difficulty of: e-mails, searches and downloading of information, in Hebrew and English; and Internet self-efficacy. Usage frequency in Hebrew was significantly higher than English, and difficulty of usage was lower. For both languages Internet self-efficacy was associated with frequency and difficulty of Internet use. The effects of language were strongly accentuated by the level of nursing education. Language may pose a more significant barrier for nurses who are less competent in using English, and prevent their exposure to the ever-increasing growth of professional knowledge.