Personal Factors and Clinical Learning Environment as Predictors of Nursing Students' Readiness for Practice: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

• Published in: Asian nursing research Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 44 - 52
• Main Authors: Lee, Taewha, Lee, Su Jeong, Yoon, Yea Seul, Ji, Hyunju, Yoon, Sookhee, Lee, SangA, Ji, Yoonjung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Elsevier B.V 01.02.2023; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier; 한국간호과학회
• Subjects: Anxiety; Clinical medicine; Committees; Cross-Sectional Studies; depression; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; Generation Z; Generations; Humans; Latent Class Analysis; Learning; Mental depression; Nurses; nursing; Nursing care; Nursing education; Nursing schools; Questionnaires; School environment; Self esteem; Structural equation modeling; Student retention; students; Students, Nursing; work-life balance; 간호학; students; work-life balance; learning; nursing; depression
• ISSN: 1976-1317; 2093-7482
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anr.2023.01.003

It is essential to ensure the readiness for practice among undergraduate nursing students since the purpose of such education is to cultivate competent nurses who deliver high-quality and safe nursing. Astin's theory of student involvement suggests that this is affected by their personal factors and learning environment. We conducted a cross-sectional study between November 16, 2020 and December 21, 2020 which examined personal factors and aspects of the clinical learning environment among senior nursing students (n = 838) enrolled across 54 nursing schools in Korea. The participants were asked to fill out a self-administered online survey, which assessed demographic characteristics, self-esteem, depression, work-life balance, clinical learning environment, anxiety during clinical practicum, and readiness for practice. Readiness for practice was measured using the Casey-Fink Readiness for practice survey. We used structural equational modeling to test our hypothetical model. The nursing students' readiness for practice was significantly affected by their self-esteem, work-life balance satisfaction, and clinical learning environment. Anxiety during clinical practicum directly influenced their readiness for practice. Increasing self-esteem and work-life balance satisfaction, and improving their clinical learning environment by providing sufficient educational and clinical support, could help facilitate the transition from nursing schools to real-world practice for nursing students.