Development and Effects of the Self-determination Improvement Program for Nursing Students' Professional Competence Enhancement / 정신간호학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a self-determination improvement program for enhancing nursing students' professional competence and to evaluate effects of the intervention on nursing professionalism, communication skills, and career decision-making autonomy among nursing students. METHODS: The study was in a pre-test, post-test 1, and post-test 2 for a nonequivalent control group design. The participants were 56 students enrolled a nursing school or college (experimental group: 28; control group: 28). The self-determination improvement program was provided in 12 sessions over 4 weeks. Data was collected from August to September 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 25.0 program with χ² test, Fisher's exact test, the independent t-test, and repeated measurement ANOVA. RESULTS: Participants receiving the self-determination improvement program reported increased nursing professionalism, communication skills, and career decision-making autonomy that was significantly different from those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that the self-determination improvement program could be effective for enhancing career decision-making autonomy by strengthening nursing students' professionalism and communication skills. Nursing educational program based on self-determination may be helpful for nursing students who need to prepare themselves as competent nurses in future profession.