Innovation, Curiosity, Exploration, and Critical Thinking Dispositions of Nursing Students Who Have and Have Not Taken an Innovative Thinking Course

Innovative thinking is important for professional development in nursing students. This study aimed to compare the innovation, curiosity, exploration, and critical thinking dispositions of nursing students who have and have not taken an innovative thinking course. The research was a descriptive type. The sample group consisting of 58 nursing students who met the established research criteria. Study data were collected with "The Introductory Information Form, the Individual Innovativeness Scale, the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II, and the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale." The rate of having innovative ideas, receiving training to create innovative ideas, and thinking that an innovative perspective is necessary for the nursing profession was higher in the group that took innovative thinking courses. A statistically significant difference was observed in the total score on the Curiosity and Exploration Scale II between students who had enrolled in the course and those who had not (p < 0.05). The study indicated that students who had completed courses on innovative thinking exhibited higher levels of curiosity and exploration.