Assessing the impact of entrepreneurial innovation training on Portuguese nursing students: A before-and-after study

Hugo Neves; Pedro Parreira; Rosa Melo; José Hermínio Gomes; Inês Almeida; Liliana Sousa; Lisete Mónico; Carla Carvalho; Margareth Gomes; Paulo Santos-Costa; Denize Oliveira; Filipe Rafael Pedrosa; Luciene Braga; Filipa Ventura; João Graveto; Amélia Castilho; Marina Montezuma Vaquinhas; Anabela Oliveira

doi:10.29073/jer.v2i2.36

Authors

Hugo Neves Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6843-6228
Pedro Parreira Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3880-6590
Rosa Melo Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC)
José Hermínio Gomes Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6062-1883
Inês Almeida Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8474-2332
Liliana Sousa Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC)
Lisete Mónico Faculty of Psychology and Education Science, University of Coimbra (FPCEUC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9374-2702
Carla Carvalho Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3351-5003
Margareth Gomes Rio de Janeiro Federal University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4431-084X
Paulo Santos-Costa Nursing Research, Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), Nursing School of Lisbon (ESEL) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0761-6548
Denize Oliveira Rio de Janeiro State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0830-0935
Filipe Rafael Pedrosa Mechanical Engineering Department of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Polytechnic Porto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4012-8741
Luciene Braga Federal University of Viçosa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2297-395X
Filipa Ventura Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5722-5612
João Graveto Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6974-9421
Amélia Castilho Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4420-8861
Marina Montezuma Vaquinhas Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1377-4326
Anabela Oliveira Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8231-8279

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29073/jer.v2i2.36

Keywords:

Competency Development, EntreComp Framework, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, Innovation

Abstract

Nursing students often lack the entrepreneurial competencies needed to drive innovation in contemporary healthcare settings, where creative problem-solving is critical to enhancing client outcomes and service delivery. While nursing professionals are often uniquely positioned to identify gaps in care, they may be underprepared to convert these insights into practical solutions due to insufficient entrepreneurial training.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured educational intervention, grounded in the European Union’s EntreComp framework, to enhance entrepreneurial competencies among senior undergraduate nursing students (N=268). The intervention focused on the three core dimensions of “Ideas and Opportunities”, “Resources”, and “In Action”, using a validated self-assessment instrument (α=.951–.978). The intervention, targeting the core dimensions of “Ideas and Opportunities,” “Resources,” and “In Action,” led to statistically significant improvements across all areas.

These findings underscore the practical relevance of integrating entrepreneurial principles into nursing education to cultivate adaptability, innovation, and reflective practice. By enabling emerging professionals to generate viable ideas, mobilize resources effectively, and implement initiatives with tangible impact, this intervention contributes to a workforce better equipped to address complex healthcare challenges. Consequently, the inclusion of entrepreneurial innovation education in nursing curricula may foster a culture of proactive leadership, thereby facilitating sustainable improvements in clinical practice and healthcare service delivery.

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