The efficacy of using adventure-based training in enhancing resilience and competency among Nursing students for clinical practicum

Abstract

Background, including underpinning literature and, wherever possible, the international relevance of the research Clinical practice is a vital component in nursing education that provides students with real-life opportunities to practice in hospital and community settings. Nevertheless, with an increasing complexity of the healthcare system, accountability for patient care and expectations for higher-quality service from the general public, clinical practicum can be a very stressful experience for nursing students.1 It is crucial to enhance nursing students with self-efficacy and resilience, so as to promote their competence in clincal practice.2 Aims and or research questions or research hypothesises This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of using adventure-based training in enhancing the self-efficacy, resilience and competency among nursing students towards clinical practicum. Research methodology or research design, any ethical issues, and methods of data collection and analysis A randomized controlled trial (RCT), two-group pretest and repeated post-test, between-subjects design was conducted to Year 2 baccalaureate nursing students in a tertiary institution. One hundred forty-six students were invited to participate, with 74 students received 2-day adventure-based training (experimental group) and another 72 students received the same amount of time and attention as the experimental group but not in such a way as to have any specific effect on the outcome measures (placebo control group) before clinical practicum. Adventure-based training was based on the experiential learning theory that emphasize on physical challenge, periods of reflection, overcoming adversity and team work building.3 Most importantly, the training allowed students to experience the ‘cannot’ and learn to achieve the ‘can’; such experience could enhance students’ self-efficacy and resilience, consequently improved their competency for clinical practicum. Participants were asked to respond to the Chinese version of the Nursing Students Competency Instrument, Making Sense of Adversity Scale and General Self-Efficacy Scale at the time of recruitment, and again at 1 week, 3- and 6-month after intervetion. A mixed between-within-subjects analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons using the Tukey procedure was conducted to assess the effect of the adventure-based training on participants’ self-efficacy, resilience, and competency. Key findings and recommendations Participants in the experimental group reported statistically significant higher levels of self-efficacy (p < 0.01), resilience (p < 0.01) and competency (p < 0.01) than those in the placebo control group. This study provides evidence that adventure-based training is effective in promoting self-efficacy, resilence and competen among Hong Kong Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. The findings of the study can be used to create a new model of nursing education, using adventure-based training to help nursing students to enhance their self-efficacy, resilience and competence towards clinical practicum. Three key points to indicate how your work contributes to knowledge development within the selected theme • It is vital to enhance nursing students with adequate self-efficacy, resilence and competence before having their clinical practium • To our knowledge, this is the world’s first RCT to examine the effectiveness of using adventure-based training to prepare nursing students for clinical practicum. • Adventure-based training was found to be effective in enhancing nursing students’ self-efficacy, resilience and competence towards clinical practicum.