Conceptualizing nurses’ innovative behavior: a qualitative content analysis of process and dimensions

Abstract Background Increasing healthcare demands and rapid technological advancements have intensified pressures on hospital organizations, highlighting the critical role of nurses’ innovative behavior in ensuring adaptive and patient-centered care. However, existing research is predominantly quantitative and offers limited insight into the underlying dimensions and processes through which innovation is enacted in clinical practice. This study aimed to qualitatively conceptualize nurses’ innovative behavior from the perspective of clinical nurses. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using conventional content analysis. Data were gathered through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 14 clinical nurses recruited via purposive sampling from diverse hospital settings. An 8-step analytical framework (Zhang & Wildemuth) was employed to systematically code and categorize the data, ensuring methodological rigor and transparency throughout the analytical process. Results The analysis revealed five interrelated dimensions of nurses’ innovative behavior: nurses’ competencies, generation of care ideas, feasibility of care ideas, clinical implementation, and promotion of innovation. Conclusion Nurses’ innovative behavior is primarily driven by professional necessity, the everyday clinical challenges at the bedside, and often manifests as informal, invisible daily practice. By rendering this invisible work visible, the findings provide a grounded conceptual framework for refining measurement instruments and fostering innovation cultures, particularly in resource-constrained healthcare settings.