Self-efficacy and psychological well-being among first year nursing students: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35816/jiksh.v15i1.245Keywords:
Nursing Students, Psychological Well-Being, Self-EfficacyAbstract
Introduction: The transition to higher education increases first-year nursing students' risk of psychological vulnerability. Self-efficacy has been identified as a potential protective factor; however, evidence focusing on early-stage nursing students remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association and predictive role of general self-efficacy on psychological well-being among first-year nursing students.
Research Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 119 first-year nursing students at a public university in Indonesia using convenience sampling. Data were collected through an online survey using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS with α = 0.05.
Results: Self-efficacy demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with psychological well-being (r = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.26–0.56; p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that self-efficacy significantly predicted psychological well-being (β = 0.42; p < 0.001), explaining 18% of the variance (R² = 0.18). No significant gender differences were identified.
Conclusion: Self-efficacy is a significant psychological determinant of well-being among first-year nursing students. Early educational interventions aimed at strengthening self-efficacy may enhance students’ mental well-being and academic adjustment
Downloads
References
Alharbi, A., Alkubati, S. A., Albaqawi, H., Ali, A. Z., Hamed, L. A., Mohammed, S., Cornejo, L. T. O., & Almazan, J. U. (2026). Mediating roles of psychological empowerment and self-efficacy in the relationship between leadership and clinical decision-making among nursing students: A path-analysis approach. Nurse Education Today, 161, 107022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2026.107022
Azza, A., Sasarari, Z. A., Nurafriani, N., S, I., & Yunus, M. (2025). Effect of implementing childbirth preparation classes on women’s self-efficacy and pregnancy outcomes. Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada, 14(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.35816/jiskh.v14i1.1245
Bahari, G., Alenazi, L., & Alkathiri, A. M. (2025). The implementation of artificial intelligence in nursing education and its psychological impact on nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 153, 106816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106816
Barrington-Moss, G., McKendrick-Calder, L., & von Stein, D. (2026). Self-compassion in nursing students: An integrated review. Nurse Education in Practice, 91, 104684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104684
Bayageldi, N. K., & Kaloğlu Binici, D. (2024). Are nursing students ready to respond to disasters? A study on self-efficacy of nursing students to apply psychological first aid. Nurse Education Today, 143, 106367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106367
Ben Natan, M., Muntyan, A., & Shonn, E. (2025). Low Back Pain, Pain Beliefs, Fear-Avoidance, and Self-Activation in Nursing Students. Pain Management Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2025.11.005
Berdida, D. J. E., Grande, R. A. N., Serag, R. M., & Abd Elmaksoud, D. M. F. (2026). Nursing students’ artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, AI self-efficacy and AI self-competency: A cross-sectional design and structural equation model analysis. Nurse Education in Practice, 90, 104673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104673
Bong, S., Park, S., Lee, A., Lee, H., Lee, H., Jung, H., & Choi, H.-G. (2026). The mediating role of self-efficacy between social acuity and clinical competence among nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 161, 107010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2026.107010
Collins, C. R., Gurley, D., & Carver, N. (2025). A mixed methods study using reflective journaling as a classroom intervention to teach the knowledge, value, and skill of professional self-care to third-year nursing students. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.10.032
Culha, I. (2025). The mediating role of emotional empathy in the relationship between nursing students’ emotional intelligence levels and their self-efficacy in pain management. Nurse Education Today, 150, 106682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106682
El-Sayed, B. K. M., El-Sayed, A. A. I., Alsenany, S. A., & Asal, M. G. R. (2025). The role of artificial intelligence literacy and innovation mindset in shaping nursing students’ career and talent self-efficacy. Nurse Education in Practice, 82, 104208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104208
Elhadidy, A. M., Osman, O. A. B., & Mahmoud, S. (2025). Effect of an educational program to enhance psychological capital on academic burnout among nursing students. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 20(4), e1084–e1089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.05.019
Erbay Dalli, Ö., & Pehli̇van, S. (2025). The effectiveness of laughter-based interventions on psychological, physiological and educational outcomes in nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Education in Practice, 87, 104509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104509
Galan-Lominchar, M., Roque, I. M.-S., del Campo Cazallas, C., Mcalpin, R., Fernández-Ayuso, D., & Zerolo, B. E. (2024). Internationalization at home program significantly increases the self-efficacy of nursing students: A pre-post study. Nurse Education Today, 143, 106361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106361
Güvener, Y. Ö. (2024). The effect of laughter therapy on self-efficacy and psychological well-being in nursing students. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 52, 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2024.07.021
Ho, Q. B., Tran, H. T. L., Nguyen, D. T. T., Tran, T. T., & Tran, L. T. K. (2026). The mediating role of self-esteem in the link between attachment relationships and stress among Vietnamese nursing students: a cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 10, 100500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2026.100500
Inuwa, A., & Esmaeilzadeh, S. (2025). Self-compassion interventions for nursing students: A scoping review. Nurse Education in Practice, 88, 104556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104556
Morsy, A. A. I., Atta, M. H. R., Elsheikh, M. A., & Shehata, Y. M. M. (2025). Spotlighting the Atychiphobia among nursing Students: the role of online self-efficacy and self-regulated learning. Nurse Education Today, 152, 106781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106781
Pierce, B., Allen, J., & van de Mortel, T. (2026). The influence of near-peer teaching on final year nursing students’ self-efficacy in clinical teaching: A mixed methods quasi-experimental study. Nurse Education Today, 156, 106907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106907
Schulenberg, S. L., Goldberg, D., Kreps, G., & Oh, K. M. (2024). Communication self-efficacy and communication apprehension in a national sample of undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education in Practice, 77, 103977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2024.103977
Shaygan, M., Yazdani, N., & Haghshenas, H. (2026). Emotional quotient, communication skills, and social support predict psychological capital in nursing students: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 24, 100974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2026.100974
Smith, G. D., Watson, R., Poon, S., Cross, W. M., Hutchison, M. L., Jacob, E., Jacob, M. A., Rahman, M. A., Penny, K., & Lam, L. (2025). A study of academic resilience, psychological resilience and psychological distress in undergraduate nursing students in Hong Kong and Australia during COVID-19 restrictions. Nurse Education in Practice, 84, 104331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104331
Suprapto, Kamaruddin, M. I., Herlianty, & Nurhanifah, D. (2024). Building Nurse Competency Strategy at Public Health Center in Indonesia: A Descriptive Qualitative Approach. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing, 15(03), 62–70. https://doi.org/10.31674/mjn.2024.v15i03.008
Turan, M., & Cengiz, Z. (2025). The mediating role of self-efficacy in nursing students’ initial clinical practice experience. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 20(3), e676–e683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.01.027
Yue, W., Chen, Y., & Ma, X. (2025). A structural equation model of psychological capital, self-directed learning, and learned helplessness: Implications for postgraduate nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 151, 106748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106748
Yue, W., Lin, Y., & Ma, X. (2025). From creative self-efficacy to clinical decision-making confidence: A dimensional structural equation modeling analysis through self-directed learning among nursing graduate students. Nurse Education Today, 155, 106871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106871
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wulida Litaqia, Ainun Najib Febrya Rahman, Fadma Aji Pramudita, Sri Yulian Hunowu, Ryan Nuari Pratama
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Statement:
The authors retain the copyright of this work and grant Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada the right of first publication. The work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the initial publication in this journal are properly credited.
The authors are permitted to copy and redistribute the published version of the work, including posting it to an institutional repository or including it in a book, with acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada.
