Academic Self-Efficacy and Attitudes to Clinical Practices of Nursing Students

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing students’ academic self-efficacy and their attitudes toward clinical practice and the effect of academic self-efficacy on attitudes toward clinical practice. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted face-to-face with 122 students between December 10, 2022, and January 05, 2023. Research data were collected with the Student Introductory Form, academic self-efficacy scale, and nursing students’ attitude scale toward clinical practices, which were created by the researchers based on the literature. Results: The academic self-efficacy total score average of the students participating in the study was 65.61±16.55; the mean total score of attitude toward clinical practices was found to be 91.81±14.92. When the correlation analysis between the scores of the scales is examined; a positive weak (p<0.05) correlation was found between the total attitude toward clinical practice and all subdimensions of the academic self-efficacy scale. In our study, the regression model developed for the effect of nursing students’ academic self-efficacy on their attitudes toward clinical practices is significant (p<0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: As a result of the research, it was determined that the academic self-efficacy scores of the students and the attitude toward clinical practices score were interrelated, and the attitude toward clinical practices scores were affected by the students’ academic efforts, academic planning, and their level of coping with academic problems. Therefore, academic nurses and clinician nurses can be recommended to plan and carry out practices that will increase students’ academic success.

Keywords: Academic self-efficacy; Clinical practice; Nursing; Student