Development of a Smartphone-Based Nursing Practicum Support Application: An Evaluation of Usability and Educational Effects

Abstract

　In nursing practicums, there is a need to develop systems that promote the self-growth of nursing students. This study aimed to develop a nursing practicum support application for smartphones using the No-Code tool to enhance learning motivation of nursing students, and to evaluate its usability and educational effects. First, we conducted a usability study of the app with third-year students at a nursing university, collecting data through observation of their app usage and the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. We calculated SUS scores and evaluated the results. Next, students and practicum faculty used the app during their acute-care nursing practicums. We collected application usage logs, conducted interviews, and administered the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28) questionnaire. We conducted a qualitative analysis of the interview results and a statistical analysis of the questionnaire results. In the study, all participants navigated the application smoothly, with seven participants assigning it an A+ rating for usability and one assigning it a D. Additionally, students and faculty who used the application during the practicum recognized its effectiveness. A comparison of learning motivation before and after the practicum using the application shows more-than-moderate effects on the nursing students’ intrinsic (experience) and extrinsic (identification) motivation. Thus, we conclude that this practicum method is likely to be effective for motivating learning. Additionally, we consider it necessary to further improve the practicum using the app, the environmental aspects need to be improved, the app’s interface and preliminary guidance reviewed, and the functional aspects of the app expanded.