Mobile Application-Supported Education in Nursing Students

This randomized controlled study evaluates the effectiveness of a mobile application-supported educational intervention on learning outcomes among first-year undergraduate nursing students. The study focuses on fundamental nursing skills related to oral, local, and parenteral medication administration. Students who met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group in a 1:1 ratio. All participants first received the standard theoretical instruction and laboratory-based skills training provided as part of the Fundamentals of Nursing course. Students assigned to the intervention group were then given password-protected access to a mobile application for 14 days. The application included instructional videos and educational content related to oral and local medication administration, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections, blood glucose measurement, blood sampling, and intravenous catheter insertion. The application had separate student and instructor interfaces. During the intervention period, the course instructor monitored students' participation and application completion percentages through the instructor interface. Students in the control group did not have access to the educational modules during this period. At the end of the two-week intervention, both groups completed a knowledge test and the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale. On the same day, students underwent an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in the nursing skills laboratory. The OSCE was conducted by a second researcher who was blinded to group allocation. For students in the control group, only the OSCE assessment module was activated immediately before the examination; the educational modules remained inaccessible until the initial outcome assessments were completed. After completion of the randomized comparison and OSCE assessments, access to the mobile application was provided to all participants. Following an additional two-week access period, students' general attitudes toward mobile learning and e-learning were assessed. This final assessment was intended to describe participants' overall attitudes toward digital learning rather than to estimate a randomized between-group intervention effect. The primary outcomes are nursing knowledge and clinical skills performance. Secondary outcomes include student satisfaction, self-confidence in learning, attitudes toward e-learning, and mobile application usability. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the use of mobile learning technologies to support theoretical knowledge and clinical skills development in undergraduate nursing education.

Inclusion Criteria: - Aged 18 years or older. - First-year undergraduate nursing student enrolled in the Fundamentals of Nursing course. - Willing to participate in the study and provide written informed consent. - Possession of a smartphone compatible with the mobile application. Exclusion Criteria: - Previous formal training in oral, local, or parenteral medication administration skills. - Previous clinical or laboratory experience in oral, local, or parenteral medication administration skills. - Failure to meet any of the inclusion criteria.