Comparison of the effects of smartphone-based applications and inquiry-based learning on self-efficacy in clinical performance of undergraduate nursing students in the neonatal intensive care unit

The increased use of electronic resources in education has necessitated the transformation of traditional teaching methods into modern educational technologies. The present study aimed to compare the effects of inquiry-based learning(IBL) and smartphone-based application learning (SBAL) on clinical performance self-efficacy (CPSE) of undergraduate nursing students in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

This quasi-experimental study was conducted at the NICU of Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Urmia, Iran, between September 2020 and February 2021. A convenience sampling method was used to select 64 undergraduate nursing students who were assigned to three groups. The SBAL group (n=21) and the IBL group (n=22) received six training sessions (60 minutes each session) along with conventional clinical education, while the control group(n=21) received conventional clinical education. All groups completed the CPSE scale before and after their internship. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 24) using statistical tests, including Chi-square, paired t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Bonferroni multiple comparisons. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean increase in the total CPSE score was significantly different among the three groups (P<0.001). The SBAL (P<0.001) and IBL (P<0.001) groups demonstrated a more marked increase in the CPSE score compared to the control group. In addition, the increase in scores in all CPSE domains was higher in the intervention groups trained by SBAL (P<0.001) and IBL (P<0.01) compared to the control group. Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in the increase in CPSE scores between the SBAL and IBL groups (P>0.05).

The findings of this study suggested that both SBAL and IBL can enhance the CPSE of nursing students undergoing conventional clinical training. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between the two methods in terms of improving the self-efficacy of clinical performance. Future studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to compare the effectiveness of these methods.