Correlation between Self-Efficacy and Clinical Performance of the Internship Nursing Students

Construct of self-efficacy in an educational setting is of utmost importance. Self-efficacy is in the context of social cognitive Bandura''s theory. This study was based on Bandura''s theory in order to determine the correlation between self-efficacy and clinical performance of the Intern ship nursing students. To pay attention to learners` abilities and beliefs toward the teaching - learning process and the results are given in order to enhance students'' clinical skills. This cross - correlation study performed on all students of nursing (51) selected through census method of Islamic Azad University of Rasht. Tools of study were a Questionnaire «Clinical performance self-efficacy» with 46 items in four domains and a «researcher -made Check List» with 28 items and Likert -five points about clinical performance of nursing students. The face and content validity of tools was determined. Cranach''s alpha coefficient for the final utility «function clinical efficacy» was α =0. 92 and for checklist it was α =0. 87 respectively. Clinical practice of students of the surgical and internal wards of selected health centers during their intensive training were observed and evaluated، by means of the checklist. Data was analyzed، descriptive statistics (frequency، percentage، mean) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation) with a significance level of 0. 05 using SPSS version 16 was used. Results showed that the average and standard deviation of scores in self-efficacy in clinical performance tool was 66. 50±11. 21 and clinical performance of nursing total scores has been on 3. 74±0. 47 well as between self-efficacy in clinical performance and nursing clinical performance there was a significant positive correlation. (r=0. 286، p< 0. 003) Also، only a positive significant relationship between average and self-efficacy in clinical performance was evident. (p<0. 04) Efficacy of the training relates to its impact on the future performance of students. Academic knowledge and skills in clinical practice is only one of the affecting variables. Teachers should also consider other factors such as student self-efficacy. Therefore، it is important to consider the promotion of non-academic factors، such as efficacy، especially in the clinical setting، resulting in more accurate assessment of students'' performance.