Abstract
The study investigated information needs and seeking behaviour of nurses at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt. It adopted a descriptive research survey. The population of the study was 352 nurses at RSUTH from which a sample 100 was drawn. Self-structured questionnaire was used. The questionnaire included a four point likert scale (4-1). Out of 100 copies of the questionnaire administered, 94 were found valid for analysis. Data was analysed using simple percentages and mean score. The findings of the study showed that nurses needed information on drugs therapy, diagnostic, patients’ management and personal development. The factors that motivated their information seeking include working environment, patients’ care, professionalism and personal development. To satisfy their curiosity, they consulted different sources of information including colleagues, internet and textbook. It also showed that nurses had a negative perception about library and information services in meeting their information needs. Inadequate information resources in the library, inadequate information retrieval skills and closed access were some of the challenges they faced when seeking for their information needs. However, they suggested training of nurses and provision of standard library for the nurses. It was recommended among other things that the library should be well equipped to meet the information needs of the nurses also the nurses should acquire information retrieval skills to enable them access information resources on the internet and databases.
 Keywords: Information needs, Information seeking behaviour, Nurses, Rivers, Health information
Highlights
Information is an essential commodity for human development
Information is vital to survival and decision making at every stage of human endeavour because it furnishes an individual with facts, experiences, procedures and processes to follow in actualizing a plan
The results showed that most nurses needed information about new developments in their profession
Summary
Information is an essential commodity for human development. As a processed data from which meaning may be deduced from, it is important for planning, decision making and reduction of uncertainty. It can be stated that nurses information needs can be ascertained by their information needs which studies have shown to include; to be abreast of new developments in the field of nursing, medications, patient care technique, drug therapy, diagnostic, outbreak of diseases, etc as well as the sources of information they consult which authors have identified to include colleagues, internet, medical record, databases, textbook, journals, library, etc. They collect and transmit data from patients and the patients' families to other health care providers, and are liable for organizing all consideration exercises for patients in their consideration Information is in this manner a vital device for medical attendants, and how they obtain and utilize the information are key determinants of their performance because information seeking behaviour encompasses nurse’s approaches to express information needs, seek information, evaluate, select and put to use.
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