Preparing for a Digital Future: Student Perceptions of Innovation and Technology in Nursing

Technological development, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing rapidly in the clinical contexts. Healthcare professionals must be prepared to provide care in the digital health era, meeting quality of care and patient safety standards. Evidence suggests that most higher education institutions need more aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship in their curricula, contributing to the academy-practice gap and potentially jeopardizing future health professionals' competencies to address these challenges in a fast and changing health work environment. This qualitative and descriptive study aimed to understand students' perceptions regarding institutional transformation in innovation and entrepreneurship. Thirty-four undergraduate nursing students participated in a matchmaking event on entrepreneurship and innovation in health. Using the Gallery Walk technique, students actively discussed the topic through a set of meaningful questions on the subject related to their perception and the knowledge, tools, and environment needed to increase innovation and entrepreneurship-related competencies. An emergent change in curricula is required by students, allowing participation in innovative projects and promotion of active methodologies, encouraging them to think 'out of the box'. Simultaneously, participants demand interprofessional education within other areas, like engineering, to develop common knowledge under standard curricula and broaden their competency areas. Students are aware that education has not kept up with technological advances in the health area, limiting the development of innovation and entrepreneurship competencies. A collaborative intervention in the era of health 4.0 involving academia, practice, research, and the business community is needed to streamline the generation of specialised products targeting people's needs.