Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
10-14-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Beverly Clark
Abstract
Nursing education continues to face challenges in preparing students to meet the complex demands of modern healthcare, particularly due to limited clinical placements and faculty shortages. This quality improvement project addressed the gap between classroom instruction and clinical practice by implementing a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model designed to impact students' self-efficacy. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine whether participation in a DEU impacted the self-efficacy of the first-year associate degree nursing students compared to the traditional clinical model. Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and grounded in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) principles, the project aimed to strengthen confidence in psychomotor and communication skills necessary for safe patient care. A quantitative, quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest design was used. Thirteen pre and post surveys were analyzed using the Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Scale (NSSES). Descriptive statistics summarized demographics, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test assessed pre- and post-intervention differences. Results showed a statistically significant increase in both psychomotor skills (z = 2.62, p = .009) and communication skills (z = 3.08, p = .002) following the DEU implementation. These findings support the DEU as an effective educational model for enhancing confidence, decision-making, and readiness for practice among novice nursing students. The project’s outcomes advance nursing education by demonstrating that structured mentorship and academic–practice partnerships can enhance clinical learning and prepare practice-ready graduates. Sustaining the DEU model may strengthen workforce competence and impact patient outcomes.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Broussard, Danita, "Quality Improvement Project: The Impact of a Dedicated Education Unit on the Self-Efficacy of First-Year Associate Degree Nursing Students" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 234.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/234
