Faculty Clinical Support Model for Nursing Internship Students: Self-Efficacy and Coping

Changes in Self-Efficacy and Coping Following Implementation of a Faculty Clinical Support Model Among Nursing Internship Students: A Single-Group Pre-Post Study

This study evaluated changes in self-efficacy and coping abilities among nursing internship students following implementation of a Faculty Clinical Support Model (FCSM) at Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia. The FCSM is a structured faculty mentorship program in which each nursing intern is assigned a designated faculty mentor, with scheduled meetings at the start, midpoint, and end of each clinical rotation, and reflective debriefing sessions focused on stress, coping, and clinical decision-making. A single-group pre-post design was used. Self-efficacy and coping were measured at baseline (T0, July 2025) and at six months (T1, January 2026) using the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and the Placement Coping Scale (PCS). A five-item evaluation form assessed participants' perceived impact of the model. This study was registered retrospectively; prospective registration was not completed because the FCSM was implemented as a routine institutional support initiative and was not recognized at the time as meeting the ICMJE clinical trial definition.

The Faculty Clinical Support Model (FCSM) consisted of three components: (1) designated faculty mentors assigned to each nursing internship student for the duration of the internship year; (2) scheduled faculty-mentor-student meetings at three defined points per clinical rotation (start, midpoint, and end); and (3) planned reflective debriefing sessions focused on stress, coping strategies, and clinical decision-making. All participating faculty received a brief standardized orientation on strategies to support students' self-efficacy through graded mastery experiences and constructive feedback, and to promote adaptive coping prior to the intervention period.

Self-efficacy was measured using the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; 10 items, 1-10 scale), originally developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem (1995) and adapted for the internship context. Coping was assessed using the Placement Coping Scale (PCS; 9 items, 1-10 scale). A five-item FCSM evaluation form (1-5 scale) assessed participants' perceived impact of the model on preparedness, confidence, coping, accessibility of support, and likelihood of recommending the model to future cohorts.

Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests as primary analyses due to non-normal distributions, supplemented by paired t-tests, Cohen's d effect sizes, and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. Given the single-group design without a control condition, findings are interpreted as preliminary, hypothesis-generating evidence of association rather than confirmed causal effectiveness.

Ethics approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee, College of Nursing, Taibah University (TUCN-REC-2025-123, approved 18 May 2025).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Enrolled as a nursing internship student at Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
2. Participating in clinical placement or internship rotations during the study period (July 2025 to January 2026)
3. Willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Prior professional nursing experience before the internship year