Enhancing nurses’ continuous professional development through ARCS-V (attention relevance, confidence, satisfaction, volition) motivational design: The path to success

Motivation plays a crucial role in the professional development of healthcare workers, particularly nurses, as it directly impacts learning engagement, clinical performance, and patient care quality. Given the high-stress environment in which nurses operate, training programs must incorporate motivational design strategies to sustain engagement and enhance learning outcomes. The ARCS-V (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction, Volition) model, an extension of Keller’s ARCS motivational design framework, provides a structured approach to improving motivation in education. By integrating components such as Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction, and Volition, this model offers tailored strategies to enhance nurses’ learning experiences. Research has shown that ARCS-based training programs, particularly those incorporating real-life case scenarios, psychodrama techniques, and interactive content, contribute to higher retention and engagement in nursing education. In addition to instructional strategies, mentorship programs and interprofessional collaboration are essential for sustaining motivation beyond training. Emotional support, feedback mechanisms, and workplace integration strategies further strengthen long-term learning and professional growth. As healthcare education continues to evolve, digital tools such as virtual simulations and augmented reality (AR) applications should be incorporated into ARCS-V-based training to enhance accessibility and engagement. Future research should focus on optimizing motivational strategies through personalized learning approaches and interdisciplinary education models. By integrating systematic motivational design principles, training programs can better support nurses' professional development, improve knowledge retention, and ultimately enhance patient care quality.