Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory

To help patients achieve the greatest benefit from cardiac rehabilitation programs, nurses must assist them to modify unhealthy behaviors. Many cardiac rehabilitation programs, however, lack a theoretical foundation; therefore, interventions are usually executed without accounting for the complexities of human behavior, and little consideration is given to the difficulties encountered in altering unhealthy behavior patterns. Bandura's self-efficacy theory is considered a suitable model for cardiac rehabilitation because it provides a systematic direction which allows one to interpret, modify, and predict patients' behaviors. This article describes the development of and conceptual framework for Bandura's theory, how it provides a basis for measurement of self-efficacy, and how it may be applied to the study of cardiac rehabilitation. Finally, some research issues, which are related to applications of self-efficacy theory in cardiac rehabilitation are discussed.