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room and commonly used, nursing management should recognise the benefits of this technology in the perioperative environment and guide perioperative nurses to learn digital professionalism. Importantly, this should encompass the need to understand, develop and demonstrate appropriate behaviour when using smartphones3 . For mobile learning and access to clinical information related to patient care using smartphones in the perioperative setting to be perceived as a legitimate nursing function, a holistic approach to risk management that includes all stakeholders, at all levels, is required. The goal should be to develop organisational policy that establishes a better balance between the costs and benefits of access to hand-held technology in real-time by perioperative nurses1,19. A digitally capable workforce will be able to guide the new generation of nurses to become digitally professional and minimise the potential risks, such as distraction, associated with using hand-held technology. Conclusion Hand-held technology, such as smartphones, provide a pocket-sized and instant means of accessing information and resources related to patient care. The drawbacks that limit the use of hand-held technology include potential distraction from clinical activities, smartphone addiction, negative perceptions that smartphones will be used for activities not related to work such as cyberloafing, interference to patient privacy and infection control risks. Conversely, the benefits of using hand-held technology include enhanced mobile learning at the point of care, easy and instant access to information and efficacious communications across hospital departments and professions. It is recommended that hand-held technology as part of perioperative nurses’ digital literacy, learning and work enhancement be accepted and policies be developed to guide responsible use within the operating room. Perioperative teams looking to allow smartphone use should consult evidence-based practice standards for their safe use in perioperative care settings. Additionally, further research into the current use of digital technology in specific clinical settings such as the operating room, including usage modes, frequency and timing of use, and the impact on patient care, is recommended. e-30 Journal of Perioperative Nursing Volume 34 Number 1 Autumn 2021 acorn.org.au References 1. Mather CA, Cummings EA, Gale F. Advancing mobile learning in Australian health care environments: Nursing profession organisation perspectives and leadership challenges. BMC Nursing 2018;17(1). 2. Deloitte Access Economics. Mobile Nation 2019: The 5G future [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association; 2019 [cited 2021 February 1]. Available from: -au-economics-mobilenation-2019-080419.pdf. 3. Australian Digital Health Agency. National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework 2020 [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Government; 2020 [cited 2021 February 1]. Available from: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/sites/ default/files/2020-11/National_Nursing_ and_Midwifery_Digital_Health_Capability_ Framework_publication.pdf. 4. Joseph A, Nair D, Jojo J, Majeed S, Aranha PR. Use of mobile phone for academic purpose among nursing students: A cross sectional study. Indian J Public Health 2020;11(4):38–44. 5. Booth RG. Educating the future eHealth professional nurse. Int J Nurs Educ Scholarsh 2006;3(1):1–12. 6. Guglielmi CL, Banschbach S, Dort J, Ferla B, Simon R, Groah L. Hand-held communication cevices: Friend or foe? AORN J 2013;98(3):294–303. 7. Rivera-Rodriguez AJ, Karsh BT. Interruptions and distractions in health care: Review and reappraisal. Qual Saf Health Care 2010;19(4):304–312. 8. McBride D, LeVasseur SA, Li D. Nursing performance and mobile phone use: Are nurses aware of their performance decrements? JMIR Human Factors 2015;17(4):e6. DOI: 10.2196/ humanfactors.4070. 9. Cambier R, Van Laethem M, Vlerick P. Private life telepressure and workplace cognitive failure among hospital nurses: The moderating role of mobile phone presence. J Adv Nurs 2020;76(10):2618. 10. Hranchook AM, Penprase BB, Piscotty RJ. Mobile
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