Effects of clinical practicum on nursing students' self-efficacy: Example of internal medicine wards

Purpose To evaluate the effects of clinical practicum on nursing students' self-efficacy (perceptions of confidence and importance) in internal medicine wards and the factors affecting it. Design and Methods The single group pre-post descriptive study was conducted with 134 final-year nursing students practicing in internal medicine wards. Findings At the beginning of the practicum, the mean score of confidence and importance subscales were 3.72 +/- 0.77 and 4.25 +/- 0.57, respectively. At the end of the practicum, the mean score of confidence and importance subscales were 3.91 +/- 0.70 and 4.81 +/- 0.76, respectively. We found that there was a significant improvement in both subscales at the end of the practicum (p < 0.05). Practice Implications Clinical practicum positively affects students' self-efficacy in internal medicine wards.