Learning Self-Efficacy as Predictor of Nursing Students' Performance of Clinical Skills

Abstract

Integration of knowledge with practice is a priority in the domain of nursing training to ensure quality of nursing education and maintain safety practices after graduation in their professional career. Past studies have raised concern that nursing students find clinical training as a stressful experience. This study aimed at examining the prediction power of learning self-efficacy on performance of clinical skills and ability to control sociodemographic characteristics among nursing students. This study used descriptive correlation approach. Data was collected through an online survey of L-SES and professional and clinical skills from a sample of 296 students identified through convenience sampling method. The data analysis used a two-step hierarchical regression analysis method where sociodemographic were entered in Model 1 (age, gender, and academic level of students) and domains of learning self-efficacy namely psychomotor, cognitive, and affective, were entered in Model 2. The analysis showed that the Model 1 was statistically significant (F = 29.4, p < .001, R² = 0.337) regarding professional skills. The study recommends identifying such personal and organizational factors that could enhance clinical performance among nursing students. This study would prove significant to higher education institutions and academics to emphasize that personal factors and self-efficacy of the nursing students can predict a better performance in clinical settings. The study recommends revising the training format of the nursing schools and explore alternatives of taking learning and training away from traditional nursing educational settings.