DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Nomophobia, defined as the fear or anxiety stemming from being without a mobile phone, has emerged as a behavioral phenomenon in the digital age. In critical care environments such as intensive care units (ICUs), excessive smartphone use among nurses may adversely impact focus, empathy, and the overall quality of patient care. Objective: To determine the prevalence of nomophobic behavior and its impact on the caring behaviors of ICU nurses in tertiary care hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Settings:Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Duration of Study:  From 14 July 2022 to 31 July 2024. Methods: A total of 222 ICU nurses were selected via simple random sampling. Data collection tools included a validated self-administered questionnaire comprising demographic data, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and the Caring Behavior Inventory (CBI). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to evaluate the relationship between nomophobia and caring behavior. Results: Among the participants, 93.7% demonstrated high levels of nomophobia, while 45.5% exhibited poor caring behaviors. A significant inverse correlation was observed between nomophobia and caring behavior (r² = 0.49, p < 0.001), suggesting that increased nomophobic tendencies were associated with decreased caring behavior among ICU nurses. Conclusion: Nomophobia is highly prevalent among ICU nurses and is inversely associated with their professional caring behaviors. Institutional strategies—including digital professionalism training, policy reform, and awareness initiatives—are essential to curb the negative impact of smartphone dependency on critical patient care.