ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING AND DIGITAL COMPETENCIES IN NURSING EDUCATION: EMPOWERING NURSING STUDENTS VIA MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION
O. Toren, S. Shimony Kanat, O. Salman Sagi, E. Laifer
Background:
The digital transformation in healthcare is reshaping the role of nurses, requiring them to adopt innovative tools and technologies to improve patient care. Integrating entrepreneurial thinking with digital skills enables nurses to work more efficiently, initiate innovative solutions, and drive significant changes in the healthcare system. Therefore, academic nursing education must adapt to this evolving reality by incorporating both interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary knowledge to develop complex skills and a holistic approach to problem-solving.
This approach transforms how nursing students tackle challenges, preparing them to integrate into the healthcare system and meet its evolving digital and technological demands.
Objective:
To highlight the critical role of integrating entrepreneurial thinking, digital competencies, and multidisciplinary education in nursing, equipping students with the skills and mindset needed to drive innovation and lead transformative change in healthcare.
Method:
At Ono Academic College, a multidisciplinary course was developed in collaboration with the Faculties of Nursing, Business Administration, and Humanities and Social Sciences. This innovative course is designed to enhance critical thinking and digital skills by introducing nursing students to various digital platforms and encouraging them to develop innovative healthcare solutions. As part of the Nursing Department's vision to advance knowledge and competencies in technology and innovation, this course plays a key role in preparing students for the evolving healthcare landscape. It is offered in the final year of studies, serving as a capstone experience that integrates their training.
By the end of the course, students present a digital prototype to academic staff and senior nurse managers, who often implement these ideas into real-world practice. Despite being a relatively new initiative, healthcare organizations that have learned about these projects have expressed interest in collaborating on product development, recognizing its potential to enhance patient care and improve healthcare services.
Results:
The course yields key outcomes: Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Academic partnerships between diverse fields; Creation of Digital Prototypes: Students develop practical applications, such as infant fever management and vaccination tracking; Strengthen Academia-Healthcare Collaboration: The course reinforces collaboration between academia and healthcare organizations, integrating innovative ideas; Empowering Nursing Roles: Creativity and innovation of the students enables them to adapt to modern nursing roles.
Conclusions:
The course underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative digital solutions in nursing education. By integrating entrepreneurial thinking and digital skills, the program prepares students to lead advancements in patient care and adapt to the evolving system.
Keywords: Technology, inter disciplinary education, digital competence.