The Relationship of Self-Efficacy and Clinical Reasoning of Undergraduate Nursing Students

Aim. This investigation aimed to discover if a there is a correlation between a student’s clinical reasoning self-efficacy and a student’s actual clinical reasoning ability. Also, this research sought to discover the connection between an undergraduate nurse’s self-efficacy of clinical reasoning and the locus of control of that student. Finally, this investigation sought to discover if perceived self-efficacy of clinical reasoning changed over time. Background. The ability to successfully navigate the process of clinical reasoning is critical to providing safe, effective care for patients. For nurses, this process begins to develop in nursing school. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that newly graduated nurses struggle to navigate this process successfully, placing patients’ safety in jeopardy. While much research has been dedicated to a student’s clinical reasoning development, little is understood about the variables that impact clinical reasoning development in the student population. Method. Partial correlation was utilized to discover the connection between students’ perceived self-efficacy of clinical reasoning and the students’ actual clinical reasoning ability. Also, a one-way ANOVA, to assess changes over time and reliability assessment of the Nurses’ Clinical Reasoning Scale, was completed. Results. Fifty-two undergraduate nursing students from across 35 states in the United States were included in the sample for this study. Neither a significant relationship between the students’ self-efficacy of clinical reasoning and the students’ actual clinical reasoning ability, nor a significant change over time in perceived self-efficacy scores was detected. Conclusion. By understanding the impact certain factors have on the formation of clinical reasoning ability in students, educators are better equipped to identify those students that might struggle to develop clinical reasoning and intervene in the early stages of development. Additional studies need to be initiated to completely understand the influence these variables have on the development of clinical reasoning