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

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.