title: Graduating nurses' self-efficacy in palliative care practice: An exploratory study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Educational institutions and the health care industry agree that graduates from professional programs need to be "work ready" and capable of delivering competent and confident nursing care. One measure of program success is the student's self-efficacy in meeting expected graduate capabilities. In this study student's self-efficacy is related to palliative care graduate capabilities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore graduating Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) students' self-efficacy in caring for palliative care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative design using semi-structured face-to-face interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  A regional Australian university.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposive sample of 10 students in their final semester of study in a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted. Interview questions were informed by published palliative care graduate capabilities. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and coded by capability. The coded data were then analysed to determine evidence of self-efficacy in caring for palliative care patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All participants had experiences in caring for palliative care patients. However, the responses did not consistently reflect high degrees of self-efficacy in four documented palliative care graduate capabilities required to care for persons with a life-limiting illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support others that have identified gaps between curriculum and health care industry requirements in terms of students' beliefs about their empowerment to deliver nursing care as graduates. Education interventions and approaches to program evaluation require further development to better support students' growth of self-efficacy in undertaking their graduate roles.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hitchen-Holmes
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Curriculum; Graduate capabilities; Nursing student; Palliative care; Self-efficacy