The Relationship Between Individual Innovativeness and Start-Up Attitude Among Nursing Students: A Multicenter...

Innovation and start-up is vital not only for improving the quality and sustainability of nursing care but also for ensuring that nursing professionals can keep pace with the rapidly changing demands. The link between individual innovativeness and start-up attitude is unclear with regards to nurses and nursing education. This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the relationship between individual innovativeness and start-up attitude among nursing students.

This multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out from February to May 2024 among 346 nursing students recruited through convenience sampling from three nursing schools in Fars provinces, southern Iran. Data were collected using a demographics survey, the Individual Innovativeness Scale, and the Nursing Start-up Attitude Scale. Data were analyzed with SPSS 27 using Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

The mean ± SD of the participants' age was 24.86 ± 4.02 years. Most of the participants were undergraduate BSN (Bachelor in Nursing Science) students. The total mean score of the nursing students' individual innovativeness was found to be 65.73 ± 6.29, showing a moderate level among participants. Also, the total mean score of their Start-up attitude was 39.44 ± 9.32, indicating an a moderately positive attitude toward nursing-related start-up initiatives among the participants. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between individual innovativeness and start-up attitude (r=0.57,p<0.001). The results showed individual innovativeness (β = 0.344, p < 0.001) had positive, while age (β = -0.292, p = 0.047), and female gender (β = -2.134, p = 0.034) and had negative impact on start-up attitude.

The findings highlight a moderate level of individual innovativeness and a moderately positive attitude toward start-up initiatives among nursing students in Iran. These results suggest a growing potential for entrepreneurial engagement within the nursing profession which contributing to healthcare innovation and start-up development.