Educational Innovations

A Clinical Learning Experience: Enhancing Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Self-Efficacy in Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Clients With Dementia

Kerry Jordan, MSN, APN, ACNS-BC, CNL; Terri Church, MSN, APN, ACNS-BC

  • Journal of Nursing Education
  • March 2013 - Volume 52 · Issue 3: 171-174
  • DOI: 10.3928/01484834-20130218-03
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Abstract

Today’s health care landscape requires expert nursing care for clients with dementia. Unfortunately, most nursing students dislike providing dementia care. Lack of students’ self-efficacy may account for some of the negativity surrounding dementia care, and learning activities to increase self-efficacy may be one means for increasing positive feelings. The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate a clinical learning activity designed to increase the self-efficacy of students in meeting the psychosocial needs of clients with dementia. The experience involved 39 baccalaureate nursing students and included the implementation of a therapeutic activity in a long-term care setting. Evaluation involved discussing the activity before and after implementation, observing the students perform the activity, administering a survey before and after the activity, and completing a clinical log addressing the major objectives. Evidence from the evaluation suggests that the experience promoted increased self-efficacy in students.

Ms. Jordan is Nursing Instructor, Department of Nursing, University of Central Arkansas, Conway; and Ms. Church is Clinical Nurse Specialist, Washington Regional Medical Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

The authors thank Dr. Pao-Feng Tsai, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who reviewed and edited this article before submission.

Address correspondence to Kerry Jordan, MSN, APN, ACNS-BC, CNL, Nursing Instructor, Department of Nursing, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, AR 72034-0001; e-mail: kjordan@uca.edu.

Received: June 06, 2012
Accepted: October 24, 2012
Posted Online: February 18, 2013

doi: 10.3928/01484834-20130218-03

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