Evaluating the use of an app to support digital onboarding among nursing students

BACKGROUND: The transition into preregistration nurse education programmes can be challenging, with students often feeling overwhelmed by early administrative and onboarding requirements. Phone-based digital apps may support students during this transition period by centralising information, providing task reminders and promoting self-management. Therefore, a digital app called First Frontier was designed at one university to support early programme transition and completion of mandatory pre-course requirements. AIM: To evaluate nursing students' perceptions of the usability, usefulness and satisfaction associated with using the First Frontier app during the first six weeks of their nurse education programme. METHOD: An evaluation was conducted after nursing students had used the app during the first six weeks of their nurse education programme. Quantitative data were collected using the validated ten-item System Usability Scale (SUS) and a bespoke 11-item usefulness and satisfaction scale. Open-text comments captured qualitative feedback. FINDINGS: A total of 460 students completed the evaluation, yielding an 88% response rate. Usability was rated highly (SUS mean score 42.19 out of 50), as was perceived usefulness and satisfaction (mean score 47.76 out of 55). Almost all of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the app helped them to understand what tasks they needed to complete (99%, n= 455) and to complete tasks on time (97%, n= 444). The students' open-text comments highlighted that the app had improved their organisation and confidence. CONCLUSION: The First Frontier app shows promise as a digital onboarding tool to support early transition and satisfaction among nursing students. However, further research is necessary to explore longer-term outcomes and how the use of digital transition-support tools could be implemented in other universities.