The Impact of the Preceptorship Program on Self-efficacy and Learning Outcomes in Nursing Students

Background: This study aimed to determine the impact of the preceptorship program on self-efficacy and learning outcomes and the association between self-efficacy and learning outcomes in nursing students.

Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 112 nursing students in 2012-2013. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling from the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The general self-efficacy scale and the perception of overall learning outcomes scale were used to measure the students' perception of self-efficacy and achievement of learning outcomes. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis.

Results: The students' mean [standard deviation (SD)] scores of self-efficacy and learning outcomes were 30.69 (5.88) and 4.10 (0.82), respectively, after taking part in the preceptorship program. The results showed a significant association between the mean scores of self-efficacy and learning outcomes (r = 0.30, p = 0.002). In addition, self-efficacy was predicted by gender (β = -0.19, p = 0.030) and the components of "understand ethical aspects of patient care" (β = 0.31, p = 0.010), "work more systematically" (β = -0.44, p = 0.005), and "use of nursing research" (β = 0.34, p = 0.020).

Conclusions: Although the nursing students who participated in the preceptorship program demonstrated high mean scores of self-efficacy and learning outcomes, the lack of control group led to the conclusion about the effectiveness of the program to be made in caution. However, this program is suggested to be retained in nursing students' curriculum.