skip to main content

Factors Associated with Creativity and Innovation among Undergraduate Nursing Students

*Deena Clare Thomas orcid scopus publons  -  Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Rose A Nain orcid  -  Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Norkiah Arsat orcid  -  Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Raynee Kumilau orcid  -  Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Renie Martha Joanes orcid  -  Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Rista Fauziningtyas orcid  -  Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Praba Diyan Rachmawati orcid  -  Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by the Authors, Published by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract

Background: Creativity and innovation are essential competencies in nursing education, as they support problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability in dynamic healthcare environments. However, limited evidence exists on factors associated with creativity and innovation among undergraduate nursing students.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the association between selected sociodemographic and academic characteristics (age, gender, cumulative grade point average [CGPA], year of study, and exposure to creativity- and innovation-related courses) and creativity and innovation among undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students at a public university in Malaysia. Using total sampling, 167 students were included. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the variables. Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA were performed to examine associations, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 167 undergraduate nursing students were included. The mean total creativity and innovation score was 27.56 (SD = 0.79). Male students and those who had attended creativity- and innovation-related courses had significantly higher scores (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively). Creativity and innovation scores were positively correlated with CGPA (r = 0.188, p = 0.015) and negatively correlated with age (r = -0.162, p = 0.036), with no significant difference by year of study (p = 0.872).

Conclusion: Creativity and innovation among undergraduate nursing students were significantly associated with gender, attendance in creativity- and innovation-related courses, CGPA, and age, but not with year of study. These findings suggest that both academic performance and educational exposure may play a role in shaping creativity and innovation competency, underscoring the importance of supportive learning experiences in nursing education.

Keywords: Creativity; education; innovation; interactive learning; problem-solving activities

Article Metrics:

  1. Bahari, K., Talosig, A. T., & Pizarro, J. B. (2021). Nursing technologies creativity as an expression of caring: A grounded theory study. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 8, 1−10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333393621997397
  2. Bodla, A. A., Tang, N., Jiang, W., & Tian, L. (2018). Diversity and creativity in cross-national teams: The role of team knowledge sharing and inclusive climate. Journal of Management & Organization, 24(5), 711–729. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.34
  3. Brewster, A. L., Lee, Y. S. H., Linnander, E. L., & Curry, L. A. (2022). Creativity in problem solving to improve complex health outcomes: Insights from hospitals seeking to improve cardiovascular care. Learning Health Systems, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/lrh2.10283
  4. Can Özdemir, R., & Işık, M. T. (2022). Nursing students’ innovation and creativity approaches: A descriptive study. Health Sciences Quarterly, 2(3), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.26900/hsq.2.3.01
  5. Canonizado, I. C. (2024, October 13). When to use total population sampling in a research study. HubPages. https://discover.hubpages.com/education/When-to-use-total-population-sampling-in-a-research-study
  6. Chen, K. L. (2024). Nursing innovation and patents: A pathway to advancing healthcare and nursing. Jurnal Ners, 19(2), 123–124. https://doi.org/10.20473/jn.v19i2.58022
  7. Cheraghi, M. A., Pashaeypoor, S., Dehkordi, L. M., & Khoshkesht, S. (2021). Creativity in nursing care: A concept analysis. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, 29(3), 389–396. https://doi.org/10.5152/FNJN.2021.21027
  8. Chooha, U., Pummarak, S., Phopa, Y., & Pianpijarn, A. (2022). Enhancement of nursing innovators among nursing students in public higher education institutions. Journal of Educational Issues, 8(1), 738. https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v8i1.19904
  9. Dackert, I. (2016). Creativity in teams: The impact of team members’ affective well-being and diversity. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 04(09), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2016.49003
  10. El-Sayed, M. M., AbdElhay, E. S., Hawash, M. M., & Taha, S. M. (2024). The power of laughter: A study on humor and creativity in undergraduate nursing education in Egypt. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 259. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01913-0
  11. Li, C.-P., & He, L.-P. (2023). Trait creativity among midwifery students: A cross-sectional study. Revista Da Associação Médica Brasileira, 69(4). https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.20221355
  12. Liu, H.-Y. (2022a). Investigating the pathways between swift trust and team creativity among nursing student teams in Taiwan: A moderated mediation model. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 344. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01118-3
  13. Liu, H.-Y. (2022b). Promoting creativity of nursing students in different teaching and learning settings: A quasi-experimental study. Nurse Education Today, 108, 105216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105216
  14. Liu, H.-Y., Chen, N.-H., Wang, I.-T., Wu, S.-M., Han, C.-Y., Hsu, D.-Y., Han, H.-M., & Huang, D.-H. (2021a). Predictors of individually perceived levels of team creativity for teams of nursing students in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(2), 272–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.01.010
  15. Liu, H.-Y., Chen, N.-H., Wang, I.-T., Wu, S.-M., Han, C.-Y., Hsu, D.-Y., Han, H.-M., & Huang, D.-H. (2021b). Predictors of individually perceived levels of team creativity for teams of nursing students in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(2), 272–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.01.010
  16. Liu, H.-Y., Han, H.-M., Chen, H.-F., Han, C.-Y., Huang, D.-H., Hsu, D.-Y., & Chiang, C.-H. (2024). Team interaction behaviors correlates with team creativity among nursing students: Canonical correlation and moderation analyses. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 484. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02158-7
  17. Ma, X., Yang, Y., Wang, X., & Zang, Y. (2018). An integrative review: Developing and measuring creativity in nursing. Nurse Education Today, 62, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.12.011
  18. Moser, K. S., Dawson, J. F., & West, M. A. (2019). Antecedents of team innovation in health care teams. Creativity and Innovation Management, 28(1), 72–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12285
  19. Richardson, C., & Mishra, P. (2018). Learning environments that support student creativity: Developing the SCALE. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 27, 45–54. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.11.004
  20. Rylee, T. L., & Cvanagh, S. J. (2023). Innovation in nursing practice. Advances in Nursing Science, 46(4), E115–E131. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000464
  21. Sobel, D. M., & Letourneau, S. M. (2018). Curiosity, exploration, and children’s understanding of learning. In Active learning from infancy to childhood (pp. 57–74). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77182-3_4
  22. Taheri, F., & Nasiri, A. (2024). Clarifying the concept of professional curiosity in nursing: A concept analysis with Walker and Avant approach. Nursing Forum, 2024, 1084372. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/1084372
  23. Taşdelen Baş, M., Özpulat, F., Molu, B., & Dönmez, H. (2022). The effect of decorative arts course on nursing students’ creativity and critical thinking dispositions. Nurse Education Today, 119, 105584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105584
  24. Toscano, F., Giusino, D., Diana, R., & Rahimi Pordanjani, T. (2023). The role of emotional regulation in the relationship between nurses’ creative style and innovation behaviors: A cross-sectional study. Nursing Reports, 13(2), 811–822. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13020071
  25. Wang, J., & Shibayama, S. (2022). Mentorship and creativity: Effects of mentor creativity and mentoring style. Research Policy, 51(3), 104451. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104451
  26. Warner, J. (2004). Creativity and innovation effectiveness profile. HRD Press Inc. https://www3.hrdpress.com/files/product_pdfs/Competency_Profiles/ciep.pdf

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2026-05-29 16:14:39

No citation recorded.