Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Nursing

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Chair

Theresa Pape

Keywords

clinical nursing education, adjunct, clinical nursing educators, educational experiences, professional experiences, teaching confidence, experiential learning

Disciplines

Education | Nursing

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, predictive correlational study was to explore the relationship between nurse educators’ perceived role confidence in their ability to perform key clinical teaching roles, such as nursing skills, and their educational and professional experience among adjunct nursing clinical educators (CE) in the Midwest region of the United States. Adjunct nursing CEs require formal education, ongoing professional development, and mentorship to prepare effectively for their teaching roles. Without adequate preparation and experience for their role, adjunct nursing CEs may lack confidence in their teaching abilities, resulting in an inability to effectively translate essential knowledge and skills to their nursing students. Data were collected through online surveys from adjunct nursing educators who teach clinical experiences at community colleges, four-year universities, for-profit nursing schools, and hospital-based nursing schools that offer pre-licensure nursing programs (e.g., Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs). G*Power found that the study’s desired sample size for this research study should be 118 participants. Data analysis included multiple linear regression and descriptive statistics. The results show statistically significant findings, F(11, 110) = 3.05, p = .001, indicating that the combined set of predictors explained a significant portion of perceived confidence levels in teaching.

Available for download on Thursday, May 20, 2027

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