Librarians’ perceptions of nurses as a user group : A phenomenographic study

The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate how librarians perceive nurses as a user group and libraries’ function for nurses. In order to achieve the study’s purpose six qualitative interviews with librarians working at medical libraries were conducted. The study has been performed with a phenomenographical methodological approach. Librarians have different perceptions of nurses’ as a user group, however the majority of them experience that nurses’ information needs have been increasing as has their use of medical libraries. The respondents perceive both barriers and facilities for nurses' information practice. The barriers include lack of time, motivation and organizational support. Facilities include education, increased access to information and changing attitudes. The informants perceive that medical libraries are able to support and improve nurses’ information practice through user customized training, target audience-focused information delivery via the web, communication, outreach work, cooperation and collaboration with other actors in hospital environments and good reference service. Three major categories of perceptions have been identified. According to category A medical libraries and librarians already meet nurses’ needs, overcome barriers and reach out nurses. Librarians are teaching nurses tools and techniques to obtain information. Nurses are given access to considerable amount of nursing literature. Libraries have also evolved some e-services with nurses in mind. Librarians are satisfied with their own effort. Within category B medical libraries aren’t able to overcome barriers completely. According to category C medical libraries will be able to do that thanks to nurses’, librarians’ and other actors’ changing attitudes