The effects of family nursing and family medicine clinical rotations on nursing and medical students' self-efficacy for health promotion counseling.

Abstract

The effects of community-based family nursing and medicine clinical rotations on students' confidence in their knowledge and ability to counsel clients in selected health promotion areas were examined from the perspective of Bandura's (1986) self-efficacy theory. Nursing students (n=66) enrolled in a community family nursing course and medical students (n=71) enrolled in a 6-week family practice clerkship rotation completed questionnaires at three points: prior to, at completion of, and 3 months following their clinical rotations. Nursing and medical students' self-efficacy levels at pretest were similar. At-posttest, nursing students' self-efficacy was significantly higher than that of the medical students. This difference was sustained at 3 months follow up. Students' conception of health (clinical vs. nonclinical) did not have an effect on posttest self-efficacy levels. Self-efficacy scores accounted for 63% of the variance in the nursing students' self-reported use of health promotion principles in their daily practice; but only 11% of the variance in medical students' daily practice. The results of this exploratory study provide information to guide theory-informed curricular decisions to design clinical learning activities that foster the development of health promotion counseling skills in both nursing and medical students.