Effects of a Mobile App on Nursing Students' Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making

Background Clinical decision-making is a crucial skill for undergraduate nursing students to develop. This study assessed the effects of a mobile clinical decision-support (mCDS) app on clinical reasoning and decision-making in undergraduate nursing students and their perceived acceptance of the app. Method Following the technology acceptance model, a randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design was conducted. Students in the experimental group used an mCDS app (Medscape) for sepsis and cardiac tamponade scenarios, and students in the control group used traditional tools. Outcomes included perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitudes, clinical reasoning, clinical decision-making skills, satisfaction, and behavioral intent to use the app. Results Students in the experimental group had significantly higher posttest clinical reasoning scores ( p = .04) and cardiac scenario clinical decision-making scores ( p = .01) compared with students in the control group. Conclusion Integrating mCDS apps into clinical nursing education enhances students' clinical reasoning and decision-making. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(12):835–843.]