The role of self-efficacy in mediating between professional identity and self-reported competence among nursing students in the internship period: a quantitative study
Abstract
Aim This study explored the relationship between self-efficacy, professional identity and competence among nursing students and analyzed the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between professional identity and competence.Background Increasing attention has been paid to the cultivation of competence among nursing students; however, few studies to date have analyzed its related factors and examined their relationship.Design A quantitative study with a descriptive design was performed in this study, adopting an online survey with convenience and snowball sampling. A cross-sectional sample of 887 nursing students in the internship period of their education program in mainland China was recruited from November to December 2020.Methods The Nursing Students Competence Instrument, Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students and General Self-efficacy Scale were distributed online. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, structural equation modeling (SEM) and the bootstrap method were employed in data analysis.Results Competence was significantly and positively correlated with professional identity (r = 0.598; P < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = 0.692; P < 0.01). SEM analysis revealed that professional identity (β = 0.31; P < 0.01) or self-efficacy (β = 0.31; P < 0.01) could have a positive impact on competence. Meanwhile, self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationship between professional identity and competence, with an indirect effect of professional identity creation through self-efficacy accounting for 52% of the total effect.Conclusions Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between professional identity and competence to some extent. School educators and clinical tutors should pay greater attention to students' professional identity and self-efficacy to improve students' competence.
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Several studies indicate that PI is positively associated with TSE.
“Several studies indicate that PI is positively associated with TSE (Canrinus et al., 2012; Moslemi and Habibi, 2019; Yao et al., 2021).”
From AI teaching innovation behavior among college teachers: a structural equation modeling analysis based on the AI-TPACK framework, teaching self-efficacy, professional identity, and AI literacy (2026) · cites this paper as Yao et al., 2021
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“Several studies indicate that PI is positively associated with TSE (Canrinus et al., 2012; Moslemi and Habibi, 2019; Yao et al., 2021).”
- Authors
- Yao, X., Yu, L., Shen, Y., Kang, Z., & Wang, X.
- Affiliations
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
- Central Hospital of Zibo (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Yao, Xiuyu
- Venue
- Nurse Education in Practice
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-11
- Volume
- 57
- Pages
- 103252
- ISSN
- 1471-5953 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3214499293
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7
- FWCI
- 12.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Nurse Education in Practice (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Leadership and Management › Healthcare Education and Workforce Issues
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Research and Theory › Nursing education and management
- Social Sciences › Education › Health Education and Validation
- Keywords
- self-efficacy, professional identity, nursing competencies, nursing students, clinical internship, mediating effect, nursing education, clinical instructors
- MeSH terms
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate, Humans, Internship and Residency, Professional Competence, Surveys and Questionnaires, Students, Nursing, Self Efficacy, Self Report
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