Self-efficacy is one of the most essential aspects used in the nursing practice.

Self-efficacy is one of the
most essential aspects used in the nursing practice. Health care providers use
this theory to improve their abilities, therefore, performing better in their
jobs. According to the self-efficacy theory, people have the beliefs that they
can perform and complete the most challenging tasks. In the health care
setting, nurses have beliefs that they can cope with complex changes in health
and functioning. People who perceive self-efficacy, set goals in their lives
and tend to overcome obstacles that may affect their lives. A good example of
self-efficacy is when a chronically-ill patient is struggling to manage his
condition but he believes that following the doctor’s recommendations will
improve his health.
Furthermore, the self-efficacy theory can be evaluated using
internal and external criticisms. When looking at the internal criticism of the
self-efficacy theory, we evaluate its clarity, logical development, adequacy,
consistency, and level of the theory (Klassen & Klassen, 2018). For
instance, the logical development evaluation, suggests that the self-efficacy
theory emerged from the social cognitive theory. Additionally, over the years,
the theory has developed in a logical manner. The main concepts of this theory
have been developed systematically to emphasize the significant roles that
people play to reverse their negative health behaviors in the clinical setting.
In consistency, the theory emphasizes that the major concepts of the theory are
maintained through the self-efficacy theory. Outcome and efficacy expectations
are also closely associated with the theory. Moreover, the major concepts of
this theory are clarified and explained clearly. Although this theory was
developed in the field of psychology, its main concepts are explained in a
simpler way which is easier to understand. Lastly, the flexibility of this
theory allows it to be generalized across different backgrounds in the nursing
practice.
On the other hand, external criticisms of the self-efficacy
theory consist of complexity, discrimination, significance, scope, pragmatism,
and utility. First, since the scope of the self-efficacy theory is somehow
narrow, it become more effective and easily applicable in the nursing field. On
the other hand, health care providers and nurses are utilizing the concepts of
this theory in both research and practice. For instance, nurses apply
self-efficacy in treating and managing patients after cardiac surgery. Efficacy
measurement tools have also proved to play significant roles in the nursing
practice more so during the diagnosis of different illnesses. Nurses apply
appropriate self-efficacy measures when providing individualistic care to their
patients (Ramezani et al., 2019). Lastly, the theory has proven to be effective
in changing target behaviors more so when managing chronic illnesses.
References
Klassen, R. M., & Klassen, J. R. (2018). Self-efficacy
beliefs of medical students: a critical review. Perspectives
on medical education, 7(2),
76-
82.
Ramezani, T., Sharifirad, G., Rajati, F., Rajati, M., &
Mohebi, S. (2019). Effect of educational intervention on promoting self-care in
hemodialysis
patients:
Applying the self-efficacy theory. Journal
of education and health promotion, 8.
***** Please answer the discussion and add me 2 references********