Background Near-peer teaching (NPT) involves senior students supporting and educating junior students from the same program (McKenna & Williams, 2017). Research suggests NPT develops students’ knowledge and skills, however little is known about its influence on their self-efficacy beliefs (Irvine et al., 2018), an important predictor of future professional achievement (Bandura, 1997).

Aim To investigate the influence of NPT participation during clinical placement on senior (final-year) nursing students’ self-efficacy in clinical teaching (SECT) and self-efficacy in clinical performance (SECP), and junior (first-year) nursing students’ SECP.

Design Nursing students were allocated to either NPT (intervention) or a traditional educator-led (control) clinical placement model. At the start and end of clinical placement, senior participants completed McArthur’s (2016) SECT Scale and Cheraghi and colleagues’ (2009) SECP Scale; junior participants completed the SECP Scale. Following clinical placement, NPT participants were interviewed. Survey responses were analysed using SPSS. Interviews transcripts were thematically analysed.

Results
Senior NPT participants (n=33) had a significant increase in SECT (p <.001) and SECP (p <.001) during clinical placement. Senior control participants (n=38) had no change in SECT (p = .73), however SECP significantly increased (p <.05). All senior NPT interview participants (n=12) reported enhanced belief in their clinical teaching capabilities. Previous teaching experience and repeated opportunities to teach during clinical placement supported these beliefs and reinforced practice-readiness.

Both junior NPT participants’ (n=32) and control participants’ (n=30) SECP significantly increased (p <.001) during clinical placement. Junior NPT interview participants (n=12) indicated they benefitted from the emotional support offered by senior peers and opportunities to observe them mastering various clinical activities.

Conclusion Participation in NPT during clinical placement supports the development of both senior and junior nursing students’ self-efficacy in clinical performance. It further enhances senior nursing students’ self-efficacy in clinical teaching. These beliefs may support nursing students’ future clinical achievement.

References Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman and Company.

Cheraghi, F., Hassani, P., Yaghmaei, F., & Alavi‐Majed, H. (2009). Developing a valid and reliable self‐efficacy in clinical performance scale. International Nursing Review, 56(2), 214-221.

Irvine, S., Williams, B., & McKenna, L. (2018). Near-peer teaching in undergraduate nurse education: An integrative review. Nurse Education Today, 70, 60-68.

McArthur, L. (2016). Developing clinical teacher’s self-efficacy in Australian general practice [Doctoral thesis, The University of Adelaide]. D Space. https://hdl.handle.net/2440/119792

McKenna, L., & Williams, B. (2017). The hidden curriculum in near-peer learning: An exploratory qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 50, 77-81.