The Impact of Nursing Students’ Clinical Competence, Anxiety andResilience on Role Transition During Clinical Practice

Background: The transition from nursing student to professional nurse is a crucial phase in nursing education, significantly impacted by clinical competence, anxiety during clinical practice, and resilience. This descriptive correlational study aims to explore how these factors influence the role transition of nursing students during their clinical practice, with a focus on identifying key contributors to successful role adaptation. Methods: Data were collected from 158 third- and fourth-year nursing students at a university in Seoul, South Korea, from June 10 to June 14, 2024. The study utilized the Clinical Competence Scale, Anxiety during Clinical Practice Scale, Resilience Scale, and Role Transition Scale for assessments. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean score for role transition was 3.60 ± 0.59, with significant positive correlations found between role transition and clinical competence (r = 0.380, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = 0.581, p < 0.001), while a significant negative correlation was observed with anxiety during clinical practice (r = -0.455, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis (adjusted R² = 0.438, p < 0.001), resilience (β = 0.435, p < 0.001), anxiety during clinical practice (β = -0.232, p = 0.001), and clinical competence (β = 0.210, p = 0.001) were significant predictors of role transition. Conclusions: Clinical competence and resilience are critical factors in facilitating the role transition of nursing students, while anxiety during clinical practice hampers it. The findings suggest that interventions to enhance clinical skills and resilience, along with strategies to reduce anxiety, are essential for improving the transition process. Future research should continue to explore these relationships and develop targeted educational strategies to support nursing students in their professional role adaptation.