Changes in Self-Efficacy and Coping Associated with Implementation of a Faculty Clinical Support Model Among Nursing Internship Students: A Single-Group Pre-Post Study

Background/Objectives: Nursing internship students face significant clinical stressors that may compromise wellbeing, self-efficacy, and coping. Evidence on structured faculty-led support in Middle Eastern nursing education remains limited. This study examined changes in nursing interns’ self-efficacy and coping over a six-month internship period during which a Faculty Clinical Support Model (FCSM) was implemented. Methods: A quasi-experimental, single-group pre-post design without a control group was employed. Of 172 eligible interns at Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, 114 completed paired assessments at baseline (T0) and six months (T1). Self-efficacy was measured using an internship-contextualized Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and coping using the Placement Coping Scale (PCS); a five-item form assessed perceptions of the FCSM. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests on total scores were the primary analyses, with paired t-tests as sensitivity analyses; item-level (Holm-corrected) and gender-stratified analyses were exploratory. Results: Self-efficacy (M = 8.07 to 8.11; mean difference 0.04, 95% CI 0.005–0.08; p = 0.022; d = 0.21) and coping (M = 7.41 to 7.54; mean difference 0.14, 95% CI 0.07–0.20; p < 0.001; d = 0.39) increased slightly, but most participants’ scores were unchanged and mean changes were below each scale’s minimal detectable change. No gender × time interaction was found. The FCSM was rated favorably (M = 4.12/5.0), with 85.1% recommending it. Conclusions: Small, statistically significant increases in coping and self-efficacy followed FCSM implementation, but their educational significance is uncertain and, without a control condition, they cannot be attributed to the model. Controlled evaluations of structured faculty mentorship are warranted.