Enhancing Nursing Students' Interdisciplinary Competence via ARCS-Based Digital Health Care Design

BACKGROUND: Digital literacy is increasingly essential in modern nursing education, yet many students lack confidence and prior exposure to digital tools. METHOD: A 6-week project-based course, guided by the ARCS motivational model comprising Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction, engaged 40 first-year nursing students in designing health care applications using the Figma digital platform. The instructional process was organized into three progressive phases: motivational induction, design implementation, and final presentation. RESULTS: < .001) and rated Figma's usability as excellent (System Usability Scale = 84.87). Reflections indicated enhanced digital confidence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to translate nursing knowledge into practical applications. CONCLUSION: Integrating motivational strategies with project-based learning and an intuitive digital platform effectively promoted student engagement, skill acquisition, and meaningful learning. This model offers a scalable approach for embedding digital competence into nursing curricula.