Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Nursing

Advisor

Eileen Fowles

Abstract

Student nurses transitioning to acute care practice often feel unprepared to accept the responsibilities associated with their new role. Lack of self-efficacy in nursing practice contributes to high levels of stress and anxiety as the new nurse enters the workforce which causes turnover during the first year of practice. Little is known about how the type and amount of pre-licensure employment affects the self-efficacy in nursing practice of the student nurse. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between type and amount of pre-licensure employment and self-efficacy in nursing practice of student nurses' in their final semester of college. The Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey-© was completed by 132 senior nursing students. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. No significant relationships were noted between the type or amount of work experience and self-efficacy. No significant relationship was noted between type of work experience and self-efficacy in managing a patient care assignment of 2, 3, or 4 patients. A significant positive relationship was revealed for amount of pre-licensure work experience and self-efficacy in management of a patient care assignment for 2, 3, and 4 patients (r = .19, p = .02) and healthcare experience was the best predictor of positive self-efficacy in managing a patient care assignment of 3 (F = 4.60, p = .01) and 4 patients (F = 3.42, p = .04). Findings of this study can influence positive social change in nursing by influencing the development of recommendations regarding the amount of pre-licensure employment which could improve a new nurse's self-efficacy in practice and reduce turnover in healthcare.

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