The effects of using the nurse self-concept mobile application on the retention of nursing students

BACKGROUND: The high dropout rate among nursing students has become a global concern as it leads to a shortage of nurses on the one hand and a negative impact on the professional motivation of nursing students on the other. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of using the Nurse Self-Concept Mobile Application (NSCMA) on the retention of nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is an experimental work of research with a longitudinal design conducted from April to December 2021. The study population was second-year nursing students in a nursing school in the south of Iran who were randomly divided into an experimental (n = 49) and a control group (n = 50). The assessment was based on a pretest–posttest design and a one-month follow-up. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS v. 21 using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (repeated measures). The P value was set <0.05. RESULTS: The means of the students’ ages and grades were 21.31 ± 2.43 and 15.30 ± 2.13, respectively. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the experimental group's intent-to-stay mean scores as measured in three stages (P = 0.029), indicating that the intervention enhanced the nursing students’ inclination to stay in nursing programs. However, the changes in the control group's mean scores were not statistically significant (P = 0.132). CONCLUSION: The Nurse Self-Concept Mobile Application proved effective in enhancing nursing students’ inclination to complete their education and follow a career as a nurse. Thus, it is essential that nursing students’ education include programs designed to enhance the students’ self-concept, especially in the first few years of their education. Also, nursing schools should use this software to encourage students to stay in the nursing major.