Clinical Belongingness and its Relationship with Clinical Self‑Efficacy among Nursing Students: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Clinical self‑efficacy (CSE) plays a pivotal role in safe and quality
nursing care delivery. Clinical Belongingness (CB) is a major factor in the clinical
practice of nursing students. Objective: This study aimed to assess CSE and
CB and their relationship among nursing students. Methods: This descriptive,
correlational study was conducted in 2019 in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
of Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. Participants were 216
eligible 3rd‑ and 4th‑year nursing students. Data were collected using a demographic
questionnaire, the Belongingness Scale‑Clinical Placement Experience, and the
Self‑Efficacy in Clinical Performance Questionnaire. The Pearson correlation
analysis, the independent‑sample t‑test, the one‑way analysis of variance, and the
linear regression analysis were performed for the data analysis. Results: The total
mean scores of CSE and CB were, respectively, 134.02 ± 20.62 and 121 ± 16.79,
indicating moderate CSE and high CB. CB had significant positive correlation with
CSE and was a significant predictor of it (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Nursing students
have high CB and moderate CSE, and their CB is a significant positive predictor
of their CSE. University authorities are recommended to develop clear strategies to
improve nursing students’ CSE through improving their CB