Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of information on the possible attitudinal factors that might explain why professionals attend or do not attend electronic health record training. We investigated whether the dimensions defined by the Attitudes toward Guideline Scale (general attitude, usefulness, reliability, lack of individual competence, lack of organizational competence, and impracticality) were associated with attending electronic health record training among licensed practical nurses. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data were collected in the spring of 2024 from licensed practical nurses working in Finland (N = 2295). Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted in two steps examining both the univariable and multivariable associations between attitudes and attending training. RESULTS: Licensed practical nurses with higher digital dedication (OR 1.10, CI 1.02–1.18) had higher odds of attending electronic health record training within the last 3 years. Lack of basic IT and documentation skills (OR 0.72, CI 0.63–0.83) and lack of support for electronic health record use within the unit (OR 0.56, CI 0.50–0.62) had lower odds of attending such training withing the last 3 years. In the multivariable analysis, lack of basic IT and documentation skills (OR 0.77, CI 0.66–0.90), and lack of support for electronic health record use within the unit (OR 0.57, CI 0.51–0.64) remained associated with a lower likelihood of attending training during the 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Health and social care organizations need to especially ensure that their professionals have the basic skills to use technology and that there are supporting personnel in the work unit to offer help with using electronic health records when needed. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-026-04632-w.