Nomophobia in Nursing Staff and Interns at a Second Level Medical Care Hospital in Mexico

Introduction: mobile phones and tablets have become an essential tool in life. Excessive and prolonged use generates Nomophobia, characterized by the irrational fear of losing contact with the mobile phone. Objective: to determine Nomophobia in Nursing Staff and Interns at a Second Level Medical Care Hospital in Sinaloa, Mexico. Methods: descriptive, cross-sectional study. Sample of 330 participants. Probabilistic sampling. A personal data sheet and a Nomophobia questionnaire (NMPQ-20) were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Approval was obtained from the Local Committee on Ethics and Health Research. Results: average age 33,82 years, 53,3 % were women, average seniority 7,54 years, 43,9 % belonged to the morning shift, general nurses predominated with 39,4 % and WhatsApp with 63 %. 38,5 % communicated frequently with their partner, 100 % used the mobile phone during the day and the average number of hours they used the device was 2,71 hours. Low levels of nomophobia (general and by dimensions) were obtained. No significant relationship or difference was found between nomophobia and age, seniority and work shift. Significant differences were found between nomophobia and sex and job category, where men and nursing interns predominated. Conclusions: nomophobia was found to be at low levels in nursing staff and interns. Significant differences were found between nomophobia and gender and category. It is essential to implement strategies that reduce the use of mobile devices, since it can put patient safety at risk by acting as a distraction.