Nurses' creative thinking tendencies and affecting factors

This descriptive study was conducted to determine the creative thinking tendencies of nurses and to reveal their socio-demographic and professional characteristics, as well as creativity-related factors that contribute to significant differences. The research took place in a foundation hospital in Istanbul, with data collection occurring between 01.10.2023 and 01.10.2023. The study population consisted of 390 nurses employed at this hospital. The sample size was calculated to be at least 194 nurses, with a margin of error of 5% and a 95% confidence interval. Ultimately, the study was completed with 223 nurses. Data were collected using the Marmara Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale and a Nurse Introduction Form. Socio-demographic and occupational characteristics were analyzed using frequency and percentage distributions. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed to assess the normality of the data distribution. Differences between groups were examined using the independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that the mean age of the nurses was 27.51 ± 6.14 years (min=21, max=51); 79.4% were female, 73.5% were single, 40.8% held an associate degree, and 34.1% had a bachelor's degree. Additionally, 44.8% perceived that their income was less than their expenses. The majority (81.6%) were bedside/service nurses, with a mean professional experience duration of 6.54 ± 6.43 years (min=1, max=33). It was also found that 76.6% of nurses cared for 1-5 patients per day. Furthermore, 57.4% expressed interest in participating in scientific activities to enhance their creative thinking skills, 63.2% followed nursing innovation studies, and 98.7% considered "nurses' creative thinking tendency" to be important or very important. The mean score on the Marmara Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale was 104.96 ± 12.62. A statistically significant difference was found in the creative thinking tendencies of nurses based on variables such as perceived income level, working status, efforts to develop creative thinking skills, and engagement with innovation studies (p < 0.05). In conclusion, having an income higher than expenses, working as a nurse manager, actively seeking to enhance creative thinking skills, and following innovation studies were factors associated with improved creative thinking tendencies among nurses. It is recommended to plan multicenter studies with larger sample sizes, support nurses in developing creative thinking skills through institutional backing, provide resources for participation in scientific activities, and encourage nurse managers to foster creative ideas among bedside nurses.