2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part C

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the levels of perceived barriers and self-efficacy in bedside procedures, identify key barriers to theory-practice application, determine the relationship between these variables, and explore their association with selected demographic factors.

Methods: A quantitative descriptive correlational design was adopted. The study was conducted among 50 IV semester B.Sc. Nursing students from a selected college of nursing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, who had completed their Adult Health Nursing posting. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire assessing demographic variables, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy in bedside procedures. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, repeated measures ANOVA, and chi-square tests were applied using SPSS software.

Results: Most participants (92%) demonstrated high self-efficacy and confidence in bedside procedures, particularly in medication administration (92%) and basic bedside care (90%). The majority experienced low to moderate perceived barriers, with the lowest barriers reported in the domain of clinical supervision (58%). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant variation in self-efficacy across domains (F(4,196)=5.02, p<0.001), but no significant differences in perceived barriers (p=0.55). A strong negative correlation was observed between perceived barriers and self-efficacy (r = -0.65, p<0.001), indicating that higher barriers were associated with lower confidence. No significant associations were found between demographic variables and either perceived barriers or self-efficacy levels.

Conclusion: The study concludes that nursing students generally possess high self-efficacy but encounter moderate barriers in applying theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. The inverse relationship between perceived barriers and self-efficacy underscores the need to strengthen clinical supervision, simulation-based training, and mentorship programs to reduce barriers and enhance students’ confidence in bedside procedures. Institutional strategies addressing curriculum-practice integration are recommended to bridge the persistent theory-practice gap in nursing education.