An immersive research activity for undergraduate nursing students: an educational innovation

• Undergraduate research connects students with real-world nursing practice. • This project shows how research fosters competence and professional identity. • The model can guide similar community-based projects in nursing education. Undergraduate research projects can be used as powerful teaching–learning strategies to connect students with real-world nursing practice. This educational innovation was developed as a final-year nursing project that engaged students in a community-based health assessment in a rural school in Galicia, Spain. The project guided an undergraduate nursing student through the full research process—needs assessment, data collection, analysis, and intervention design—under faculty supervision. Using validated tools on adolescent health behaviors (diet, activity, sleep, and substance use), the experience helped the student apply standardized nursing languages (NANDA-I, NIC, NOC) and translate evidence into a school-based intervention plan. The project fostered critical thinking, professional identity, and social accountability by integrating academic learning with community engagement. Undergraduate projects that embed students in real-world contexts can enhance competence in research and health promotion while strengthening the link between nursing education and community practice.