Innovating transfusion training: a BOPPPS-based blended learning model to enhance nursing interns’ specialized competency

Introduction Traditional clinical internship training for nursing interns’ transfusion skills is commonly characterized by unstructured design and insufficient personalized guidance, which leads to inconsistent learning outcomes and inadequate self-directed learning abilities. High-stakes clinical procedures such as transfusion lack standardized, targeted training in the conventional rotational internship system, creating persistent educational gaps for nursing interns. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted between October and December 2024 among 78 nursing interns. Participants were allocated to a control group ( n = 38) receiving traditional transfusion skills training, or an experimental group ( n = 40) receiving blended specialty training based on the bridge-in, objective, pre-assessment, participatory learning, post-assessment, and summary (BOPPPS) framework. Outcome measures encompassed theoretical knowledge, transfusion operational skills, and self-directed learning (SDL) abilities, assessed using validated questionnaires (Cronbach’s α > 0.7) and standardized objective structured skill evaluations. Semi-structured interviews were performed among the experimental group and analyzed via thematic analysis. Quantitative data with normal distribution were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests, with a significance level defined as p < 0.05. Results The experimental group exhibited significantly higher scores in theoretical knowledge (68.91 ± 10.53 vs. 60.47 ± 17.03, p = 0.010) and SDL abilities (105.88 ± 7.30 vs. 94.84 ± 8.17, p < 0.001) compared with the control group. No statistically significant between-group difference was detected in transfusion operational skills (experimental group: 90.35 ± 2.02; control group: 89.71 ± 1.94; p = 0.160). Thematic analysis of interview data identified three core themes: recognized deficiencies in clinical specialty practice, recommendations for training model optimization, and perceived learning benefits and competence improvements. Discussion The BOPPPS-based blended specialty training model effectively ameliorates key shortcomings in traditional nursing internship education by significantly enhancing nursing interns’ theoretical mastery of transfusion and self-directed learning capabilities. The high engagement and learning motivation observed in this study support the model as a structured, replicable, and complementary educational strategy for the conventional rotational internship. Integrating this standardized training model can help address the lack of formalized procedural skill training for high-risk clinical practices, thereby promoting consistent and high-quality clinical competency development among nursing interns.