Effects of 3S business intelligence systems for nursing students: a repeated-measures randomized control trial

Abstract

Background The growing need for healthcare services as a result of a consistently rising prevalence of chronic diseases and rapid population aging calls for a new set of activities and practices. Therefore, we developed a program—3S (Simple, Smart, and Speed) Business Intelligence Systems (3S-BIS), which is an ERP software system that helps nursing business to support nursing entrepreneurship —and analyzed its effects on nursing students. Methods A repeated-measures randomized controlled trial was performed with two groups: experimental (n = 29) and control (n = 30) groups. The former group underwent the five-day 3S-BIS education program. Each session comprised four components: lectures 1 and 2, simulation case study, and debriefing. Post-tests were performed immediately post-intervention and four and eight weeks later. The effectiveness was measured using the following variables: simulation design assessment, evaluation of educational practices in simulation, education satisfaction, self-efficacy for learning, and entrepreneurship. The differences before and after intervention between the experimental and control groups were analyzed using the Friedman test. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for comparisons between groups at each time point, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparisons within groups at each time point. Results Post-intervention (8 weeks after intervention), the experimental group demonstrated higher simulation design assessment (z = -3.88, p = < .001), evaluation of educational practices in simulation (z = -3.34, p = .001), education satisfaction (z = -3.11, p = .002), self-efficacy for learning (z = -3.04, p = .002), and entrepreneurship (z = -2.15, p = .031) compared to controls. Furthermore, simulation design assessment score in the experimental group significantly differed between T1 (immediately after intervention) and T0 (baseline), and between T3 (8 weeks after intervention) and T0. Evaluation of educational practices in the simulation, education satisfaction, and self-efficacy also significantly differed between T1 and T0, and between T3 and T0. Entrepreneurship significantly differed between T3 and T2 (4 weeks after intervention), and between T3 and T0. Conclusions The 3S-BIS program contributes to enhancing nursing start-up competency. Subsequent studies should evaluate the effects of the program on nurses who work in home healthcare services.