Browsing by Author "Bryan, Venise D."

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    Student Nurses’ Perception of Preceptors’ Authentic Leadership Effect on Self-Efficacy
    (2019-08-19) Bryan, Venise D.; Mendaglio, Sal; Cummings, Greta G.; Kowch, Eugene G.; Vitello-Cicciu, Joan M.; McCaffrey, Graham
    The study examined the relationship between final year nursing students’ perceptions of preceptor authentic leadership and self-efficacy. Nursing students are required to engage in a preceptorship experience at the end of their nursing education for socialisation into the profession and learning consolidation to facilitate optimum transition from student to nurse. Unfortunately, preceptorship has been identified as the most stressful experience that nursing students engage in and poor relations with clinical staff and low competence beliefs to nurse have led to attrition after graduation. To date, a limited number of studies have examined preceptors’ leadership style, particularly authentic leadership and student nurses’ self-efficacy. Authentic leadership has been identified in the nursing literature as a root element for creating healthy work environments to enhance nurturing leader-follower relationships. Hence, this study addresses: a) the relationship between perceived preceptor authentic leadership and nursing students’ self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job performance; b) the influence of the final clinical practicum on nursing students’ self-efficacy to nurse; and c) the mediating effect of self-efficacy on perceived preceptor authentic leadership, job satisfaction and job performance. A multi-phase mixed methods approach of an explanatory sequential design was used. Data were collected from 94 randomly selected final year nursing students using four standardized instruments: authentic leadership questionnaire, adapted self-efficacy scale, global job satisfaction survey, and general performance scale. A semi-structured interview was also done. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as thematic analysis. The results showed that students perceived preceptors’ authentic leadership, and the final clinical practicum experience positively influenced their self-efficacy. Authentic leadership had a direct association with self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and an indirect relationship with job performance as mediated through self-efficacy. The thematic analysis identified five key themes which included the two overarching themes of preceptor attributes and preceptor effects. The study’s findings show that authentic leadership has implications for nursing practice, leadership, and education as the study provides support for the effectiveness of the theory in the preceptorship experience of the final year nursing student population in enhancing their self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job performance.