Determination of Dominant Factors of Community Nursing Practice Readiness of Final Year Nursing Students and Their Implications for Learning

Abstract

Community nursing practice readiness is an important outcome of nursing education because it determines the ability of final-year nursing students to enter professional roles. This study aims to determine the dominant factors associated with practice readiness and explain their implications for learning. The study used a quantitative analytical design with a cross-sectional approach on final-year nursing students who had participated in community practice. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring self-efficacy, practice experience, preceptor support, and practice readiness. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, and multiple linear regression. Separately, self-efficacy, practice experience, and preceptor support were positively and significantly related to practice readiness, with R² of 0.712, 0.669, and 0.794, respectively. In the simultaneous model, self-efficacy was the dominant factor with a beta of 0.63 and p<0.001. Preceptor support remained significant at the borderline significance, while practice experience was no longer significant. The final model explained 81% of the variation in practice readiness. This study concludes that students' self-efficacy is a key element of practice readiness. The novelty of the study lies in the simultaneous examination of three factors in the context of community nursing. Its contribution is to help institutions establish learning priorities based on factors that remain robust after all variables are analyzed statistically together. These findings provide an empirical basis for strengthening learning through simulation, reflection, decision-making, and targeted preceptor mentoring.