Relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and achievement motivation in student nurses

Objective To investigate general self-efficacy levels and to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement motivation in student nurses in China. Methods A total of 716 student nurses were enrolled in this study from 7 hospitals in western China. Data were collected using three scales: General Data Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) and Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS). There were 566 valid questionnaires. Results The mean general self-efficacy scores of the student nurses were low. There was a significantly positive relationship between self-efficacy and achievement motivation ( r = 0.432, p = 0.000). Conclusions Our findings suggested that self-efficacy was related to age and educational levels, rather than gender and place of residence. Nursing managers should take measures to develop the self-efficacy of student nurses; when self-efficacy is developed, the achievement motivation may then be improved. Achievement motivation may also be improved through the improvement of self-efficacy.