The Role of Nurse Educators in Enhancing Student Confidence During Clinical Placement Experiences

Posted: Jan 30, 2021

• Callum Drake
• Fiona Hart
• Emmett Norton

Abstract

The development of clinical confidence represents a critical component in nursing education, serving as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and competent practice. Clinical placement experiences provide the essential context wherein nursing students translate academic learning into practical skills, yet the psychological dimension of this transition—specifically the cultivation of professional self-efficacy—remains inadequately understood. Nurse educators occupy a pivotal position in this developmental process, functioning not merely as knowledge transmitters but as architects of professional identity formation. This research addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining the specific mechanisms through which nurse educators influence student confidence trajectories during clinical placements. Traditional approaches to clinical education have often emphasized technical skill acquisition while underemphasizing the psychological and emotional dimensions of professional development. The current study challenges this paradigm by proposing that confidence development constitutes a legitimate and essential educational outcome worthy of systematic investigation and intervention. The research questions guiding this inquiry include: How do nurse educators consciously and unconsciously influence student confidence during clinical placements? What specific pedagogical strategies prove most effective in fostering sustainable confidence development? How do students perceive and internalize educator interventions aimed at confidence building? This investigation builds upon existing literature in nursing education while introducing novel conceptual frameworks drawn from educational psychology, professional identity formation theory, and self-efficacy research. The originality of this work lies in its integrative methodology, its focus on the temporal dynamics of confidence development, and its application of complex adaptive systems thinking to clinical education contexts. By examining confidence as both an outcome variable and a developmental process, this research offers new insights for educator preparation and clinical teaching practices.