Self-Reported Competence and Self-Efficacy

Citation

Behr A, Holland K, Johnson M, Lauder W, McKenna E, Porter MA, Rogers S, Roxburgh M, Topping KJ & Watson R (2007) Self-Reported Competence and Self-Efficacy. RCN annual international nursing research conference 2007. Symposium: National evaluation of fitness for practice curricula: Survey of student nurses’ and midwives’ competence, self-efficacy and support mechanisms, Dundee, Scotland, UK, 01.05.2007-04.05.2007. http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/68738/confabstracts.pdf

Abstract
Albert Bandura (1994) defined self-efficacy as "people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave". By implication nurse education aims to equip students with a sense of self-efficacy that they can succeed in becoming a competent nurse (Farrand et al 2006). Farrand et al have recently reported that students in FFP curricula had higher confidence in their competence levels than students in P2K curricula. Considerable research shows that self-efficacy influences academic motivation, learning and skill development (Pajares 2001). The aim of this element of the national review was to investigate the relationship between students' self-efficacy and self-reported competence. The hypothesis being that competence is positively associated with levels of self-efficacy. This paper will report data on the relationship between competence and selfefficacy. A stratified random sample of nursing and midwifery students in Scotland (N = 700) were recruited. Stratification took place in terms of programme and university. All students completed the Short Nursing Competencies Questionnaire and the General Perceived Self- Efficacy Scale. Data were analysed using SPSS version 11 . This paper will

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Dr Michelle Roxburgh

Lecturer, Health Sciences (Highland & W.Isles)