The Effect of Preceptor Ship Model of Clinical Education on Critical Thinking Ability and Self- Confidence of Baccalaureate Nursing Students Tabriz Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Expanding the knowledge and clinical education of nursing students is a quite essential part of the Nursing Bachelor’s Degree program. Taking into account the importance of laying the groundwork for the development of nursing students and its influence on the promotion of the health system of society, the present study investigated the impact of the preceptor ship model of clinical teaching on critical thinking skills and self-confidence on nursing students in the Bachelor’s Degree program.

Research Methodology: This is a before-after quasi-experimental research with a pre-test/post-test design. The present research comprised 102 students of the 7th semester of nursing who took an internship course in the critical care unit. The participants were selected through simple sampling and divided into two groups, i.e., control and experimental. The participants of the experimental group underwent preceptor ship training and the control group was trained by the instructor of the faculty in accordance with the prevalent method. The data were collected using a double-section questionnaire, i.e., demographic information, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test Form B (CCTST-B), plus the Eysenck Self-Confidence Inventory (ESI). Students' critical thinking and self-confidence were extracted and analyzed in two groups before and after the internship via SPSS software, plus the independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square, and analysis of covariance. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant increase in the scores of critical thinking and self-confidence in the experimental group (preceptor ship training) in comparison to the prevalent training group (p≤0.001).

Conclusion: Given the direct relationship of self-confidence and critical thinking with clinical teaching, using modern methods for clinical teaching such as preceptor ship can have a positive impact on nursing students. Therefore, higher education policymakers must consider designing interventions and strategies to enhance the critical thinking skills and self-confidence of students.