Investigating the relationship between nursing students' individual innovativeness profiles and their basic motivation resources and needs for cognitive closure

This study was conducted to determine the correlation between individual innovativeness, which was regarded as a pattern of behavior, and undergraduate nursing students' various needs such as the need for achievement, the need for power, the need for affiliation (close relationship), the need for cognition and the need for cognitive closure. The study was designed with a correlational model by reaching the entirety of the universe (N=988) who received education during the year of data collection. After the inclusion/exclusion criteria, the sample of the research was determined to include 566 nursing students. Personal Information Form, Individual Innovativeness in Nursing Scale (IINS), Basic Motivation Resources Scale (BMRS), and the Need for Cognitive Closure Scale (NFCS) were used as the tools for data collection. It was determined that nursing students were innovative below the average (IINS=44.03±9.13). As for the sub-scales of IINS, the Leadership of Opinion score was average, the Resistance to Change score was above average, and the Risk-Taking score was low. 92.6% of the students were found to exhibit behavioral patterns traditionalist profile, and their levels of innovativeness were considerably low. The basic motivation resource for students was found mostly to be the need for affiliation, followed respectfully by the need for cognition, the need for achievement, and the need for power, all of which were above average. There was a negative correlation between students' individual innovativeness scores and their needs for affiliation, cognition, power, and cognitive closure (p<0.01). The students were found to have an average level of need for cognitive closure. Concerning the sub-scales, Preference for Order and Structure, Discomfort with Ambiguity, and Need for Predictability were found to be above average. Male students had a higher individual innovativeness score than female students while having a lower score for basic motivation resources, and the need for cognitive closure (p<0.05). In order to train innovative nurses, it is recommended to create individual innovation in both education and work fields taking into consideration their psychological needs.