Exploring factors associated with clinical competence among nursing students volunteering in Indigenous communities:...

Although volunteer service in Indigenous communities provides valuable experiential learning for nursing students, its impact on clinical competence remains underexplored. This study investigated associations among volunteer motivation, self-efficacy, and clinical competence in nursing students serving Indigenous communities.

A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out among nursing students enrolled in five-year vocational and two-year technical programs in eastern Taiwan. Data were collected between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023, using structured questionnaires: the volunteer motivation scale, volunteer self-efficacy scale, and clinical internship competence scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple linear regression.

A total of 123 nursing students were initially recruited; ten participants were excluded due to incomplete responses or withdrawal, yielding a final sample of 113 students (92% response rate; aged 17-25). Participants exhibited elevated levels of volunteer motivation (M = 94.42, SD = 10.30) and self-efficacy (M = 86.58, SD = 9.13), with moderate clinical competence (M = 58.04, SD = 6.88). Significant positive correlations were observed between clinical competence and both volunteer motivation (r = .87) and self-efficacy (r = .85). Stepwise multiple regression identified self-efficacy (β = 0.58, p < .001), internship grade (β = 0.14, p = .001), and volunteer motivation (β = 0.31, p = .001) as significant predictors, explaining 79% of the variance in clinical competence.

Structured volunteer service in Indigenous communities appears to enhance nursing students' clinical competence, likely through increased motivation and self-efficacy. Integrating such experiences into nursing education may better prepare students for diverse clinical settings and improve readiness to address community health disparities. Future curricula should consider systematically incorporating structured, culturally responsive volunteer programs. Longitudinal studies are recommended to assess the long-term impact on professional development and health outcomes in underserved populations.