The Mediating Effect of Self-Regulated Learning on the Relationships Among Emotional Intelligence, Collaboration, and Clinical Performance in Korean Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Clinical performance is an important competence for nursing students to achieve. However, little is known about the degree to which self-regulated learning mediates the relationships among emotional intelligence, collaboration, and clinical performance in nursing students. Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the mediating effect of self-regulated learning on clinical performance. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used, and a convenience sample of 302 nursing students in Years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's degree program were recruited as participants from five universities in South Korea. Information on participant characteristics, emotional intelligence, collaboration, self-regulated learning, and clinical performance was collected from the participants using self-reported questionnaires from September to October 2019. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the research model. Results: Emotional intelligence, collaboration, and self-regulated learning were found to be statistically significantly related to clinical performance. Moreover, self-regulated learning was identified as a full mediator of the relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical performance (accounting for 62.0% of the variance) and a partial mediator of the influence of collaboration on clinical performance (accounting for 25.4% of the variance). Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nursing educators should encourage self-regulated learning among their students and provide a collaborative learning environment to enhance their students' clinical performance.