Self-efficacy and clinical competence of fourth-year nursing students: A self-reported study

The current investigation aims to assess the level of clinical competence and self-efficacy of fourth-year nursing students, and its relationship to the students’ demographic characteristics. To achieve this, the researchers used a quantitative-comparative approach. The respondents of the study were fourth-year nursing students from the University of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who were identified through convenience sampling with all fourth-year students. The clinical competence questionnaire and general selfefficacy scale tools were adapted for use in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the participants’ demographic characteristics, level of clinical competence, and level of self-efficacy. The Pearson r test was also utilized to explore the relationship between the study variables. Both the level of clinical competency (m = 3.50, SD = 1.252) and self-efficacy (m = 3.23, SD = 0.837) of the students was high. The Pearson r test indicated no significant correlation between the students’ clinical competence level and gender. However, a significant correlation was noted between the students’ clinical competence level and program type, civil status, and age. No significant correlation was found between the students’ self-efficacy level and gender, civil status, or age, yet a significant correlation was found between the students’ self-efficacy level and program type. A significant correlation was also noted between clinical competence level and selfefficacy level. The students had high clinical and self-efficacy levels, which nursing students must display to perform acceptably within standard roles and responsibilities in clinical settings. Hence, the fourth-year nursing students had the clinical capabilities to organize and implement the necessary courses of action.