Development of student nurse self-confidence in clinical practice /by Lois R. Hine.

Clinical practice is an integral part of nursing education. When students lack confidence they miss out on vital learning. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the development of self-confidence by exploring and describing the students' lived experiences. The qualitative research method of phenomenology was utilized. Indepth semi-structured interviews of 17 nursing students from two Northwestern universities were conducted and thematically analyzed. Based on the data it is proposed that confidence exists as a continuum fluctuating based on students' interpretations of experiences, yet constantly increasing with time, knowledge and experience. All participants agreed that low confidence limited or stopped learning. It is suggested that students be provided with tools to overcome negative attacks to self-confidence through a variety of positive activities and coping strategies. Further study is needed to explore whether the interventions by faculty can in fact increase confidence and learning during clinical learning.Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, December 2006