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

Background: 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