Self-confidence in clinical skill: A descriptive study of the perspective of first-year nursing students

Abstract

Aim: The aims of this study were to: 1) identify the clinical skills that students self-identified as being important for preparing for their first-year clinical practicum and 2) explore first-year students’ self-confidence when practising these self-identified skills. Background: First year clinical preparation courses in an undergraduate nursing curriculum are important for students to develop their self-confidence to prepare for their clinical placement experience. Design: A descriptive study design, using a digital workbook, was used to anonymously collect data from first year nursing students at a regional Queensland university. Methods: Participants were requested to: 1) self-identify clinical psychomotor skills that were practised in the first-year nursing laboratories; and 2) to rate their confidence with these skills. Results: Seven key practice areas: medication, manual handling, wound management, respiratory care, cardiac care, vital signs and infant care, were identified by participants as important to prepare for clinical practicum. Australian first-year nursing students being able to articulate psychomotor skills important for their initial clinical practicum maybe relevant to and inform nurse education internationally. Participants rated their self-confidence positively across these practice areas. Conclusion: This study highlights that first-year nursing students can articulate nursing practice skills that are important for their clinical practice.