Jul 2026· Open Nursing Journal· 0 citations· 24 references
TL;DR
The results suggest that self-efficacy is an important psychological mechanism linking SDL ability to clinical competence, mediated by self-efficacy.
Abstract
Nursing education needs to support students not only in developing clinical performance but also in managing and directing their own learning. Self-directed learning (SDL) has been identified as a key factor associated with clinical competence. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between SDL ability and clinical competence among nursing students.
The study was conducted with 138 nursing students who had clinical practice experience in general hospitals. Data were collected using validated instruments measuring SDL ability, clinical competence, and self-efficacy. Data were summarized descriptively, and associations among variables were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. The mediation effect was tested using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) and bootstrapped confidence intervals.
Among the 138 participants, 73.9% were female, 77.5% were aged 20–24 years, and 51.4% were fourth-year students. Nearly half had more than 8 weeks of clinical practice experience (47.1%), and most reported satisfaction with clinical practice (71.0%). Clinical competence showed significant positive correlations with SDL ability (r = .44,
p
< .001) and self-efficacy (r = .46,
p
< .001). Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between SDL ability and clinical competence, and the indirect effect was statistically significant (indirect = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.05–0.32). The model's explanatory power increased from 20% to 29% when self-efficacy was included.
The results suggest that self-efficacy is an important psychological mechanism linking SDL ability to clinical competence.
SDL ability had direct and indirect relationships with clinical competence, mediated by self-efficacy. Educational strategies should combine opportunities for independent learning with experiences that help students build confidence in clinical practice.
Self-directed learning is positively related to core competence both directly and indirectly through professional self-concept as a partial mediator and Educators should consider fostering active learning and professional identity to better prepare students for clinical practice.
Lulu Zheng, Li Li, Yuantong Zang et al.· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
The nursing profession requires practitioners to possess the ability to engage in lifelong learning. As the core of the future nursing workforce, the self-directed learning abilities of nursing students born in the 2000s are of critical importance. This study aims to identify the characteristics of self-directed learning abilities and their influencing factors among different categories of nursing students through latent profile analysis, thereby providing a basis for developing targeted intervention strategies.
In April 2026, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire among nursing students at two medical universities in Liaoning and Shandong provinces. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent categories of self-directed learning ability among nursing students born in the 2000s; independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, or corresponding nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test) were employed for intergroup comparisons; variables found to be statistically significant in the univariate analysis were included in an ordered logistic regression model to analyze the factors influencing the categories.
The self-directed learning abilities of nursing students born in the 2000s can be classified into three latent categories: the “Comprehensive Weakness Group” (18%), the “Balanced Development Group” (48%), and the “Comprehensive Leadership Group” (34%). Ordered logistic regression analysis revealed that educational background, whether serving as a student leader or class committee member, future plans to pursue a career in nursing, prior training in self-directed learning, academic burnout, and learning motivation were all significantly associated with the category of self-directed learning ability (all
P
< 0.05).
Differentiated educational interventions should be implemented for nursing students with different characteristics. For the “Comprehensive Weakness Group,” psychological support and training in structured self-directed learning skills should be strengthened; the “Balanced Development Group” should be provided with appropriate guidance to facilitate their transition to the “Comprehensive Leadership Group,” and the exemplary role of the “Comprehensive Leadership Group” should be fully leveraged to enhance the self-directed learning abilities of all post-2000s nursing students.
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Zuyao Xiao, Rui Cui, Jiaxin Liu et al.· BMC Nursing· 0 citations
Background: Self-esteem and self-efficacy are essential psychological constructs that significantly influence nursing students’ academic performance, clinical competence, and overall well-being. Understanding the relationship between these variables is crucial for enhancing educational outcomes and professional readiness in nursing education.
Aim: This study aimed to assess the levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy among nursing students at the University of Karbala and to examine the correlation between these two variables.
Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted among 74 nursing students selected through a convenience sampling at the University of Karbala between October 5 and November 5, 2025. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of three parts: demographic characteristics, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: The findings revealed that 63.5% of participants had moderate self-esteem, 33.8% had high self-esteem, and only 2.7% had low self-esteem. Regarding self-efficacy, 74.3% of students demonstrated high levels, 23% moderate levels, and 2.7% low levels. A statistically significant correlation was found between self-esteem and self-efficacy (r = 0.522, p < 0.001), indicating a positive relationship.
Conclusion: The study concluded that most nursing students exhibited moderate to high levels of self-esteem and high levels of self-efficacy. The significant positive correlation between the two variables.
Ali Mlaghy Shakhat Al-Salhee, Manar Majeed Hameed, Amal Fadhil Noori et al.· Kerbala Journal of Nursing a...· 0 citations
It is indicated that both self-directed learning and AI acceptance are associated with perceived clinical competence, with AI acceptance acting as a mediating factor.
Boshra Karem Mohamed El-Sayed, Ayman Ateq Alamri, M. G. R. Asal et al.· BMC Medical Education· 0 citations
Clinical competence is a crucial outcome of nursing education. Many factors bind the education and the clinical environment, and still more factors develop nursing students’ clinical skills. These factors include the student’s personal readiness.
The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of personal readiness on the development of nursing students’ clinical skills in the private sector in the Philippines. Specifically, the study viewed personal readiness as self-efficacy, motivation, coping, and emotional resilience.
In this study, a quantitative descriptive correlational design was used on a sample of nursing students from private sector nursing schools in Iligan City. A battery of researcher developed, and some published, self-report questionnaires, were used to measure the above factors. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling were used to describe and analyze the data.
Of the factors studied, self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of the development of clinical skills, followed by the emotional resilience, motivation, and coping. Personal readiness showed a positive, significant relationship to clinical competence, confidence, and the accurate execution of procedures and critical thinking. Structural equation modeling showed that personal readiness had a significant influence on the development of clinical skills.
Personal readiness had a significant effect on nursing students’ development of clinical skills. Formal education activities that enhance students’ self-efficacy, motivation, coping, and emotional resilience are likely to develop students’ personal readiness for practice and avail the society of competent nurses.
I. C. Enriquez, C. Dm, Nenita I. Prado, Ph.D· International journal of res...· 0 citations
Community nursing practice readiness is an important outcome of nursing education because it determines the ability of final-year nursing students to enter professional roles. This study aims to determine the dominant factors associated with practice readiness and explain their implications for learning. The study used a quantitative analytical design with a cross-sectional approach on final-year nursing students who had participated in community practice. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring self-efficacy, practice experience, preceptor support, and practice readiness. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, and multiple linear regression. Separately, self-efficacy, practice experience, and preceptor support were positively and significantly related to practice readiness, with R² of 0.712, 0.669, and 0.794, respectively. In the simultaneous model, self-efficacy was the dominant factor with a beta of 0.63 and p<0.001. Preceptor support remained significant at the borderline significance, while practice experience was no longer significant. The final model explained 81% of the variation in practice readiness. This study concludes that students' self-efficacy is a key element of practice readiness. The novelty of the study lies in the simultaneous examination of three factors in the context of community nursing. Its contribution is to help institutions establish learning priorities based on factors that remain robust after all variables are analyzed statistically together. These findings provide an empirical basis for strengthening learning through simulation, reflection, decision-making, and targeted preceptor mentoring.
Yosua Rumainum, Syaharuddin Nur, Trajanus L Jembise et al.· International Journal of Hea...· 0 citations