http://jnep.sciedupress.com Journal of Nursing Education and Practice 2016, Vol. 6, No. 8 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Student self-confidence with clinical nursing competencies in a high-dose simulation clinical teaching model Donna E. McCabe * , Mattia J. Gilmartin, Lloyd A. Goldsamt New York University College of Nursing, New York, United States Received: December 7, 2015 Accepted: February 25, 2016 Online Published: March 30, 2016 DOI: 10.5430/jnep.v6n8p52 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v6n8p52 ABSTRACT Objective: This paper describes undergraduate nursing students’ assessment of confidence in clinical practice within a model that uses a “high-dose” of clinical simulation to replace 50% of the traditional clinical experience hours in an upper division bachelor’s degree program. We assessed changes in self-reported confidence between the middle and end of a two-year nursing curriculum. Design: Longitudinal design. We surveyed undergraduate nursing students to assess their perceived self-confidence in carrying out eight core competencies associated with generalist nursing practice with the Assessment of Nursing Education Scale (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2009) at the mid-point (semester 2) and end of program (semester 4). Methods: Data were analyzed Generalized Linear models. To account for changes over time, we included program track (traditional BSN or 15-month accelerated second degree program) and gender (male/female) as co-variates in the models. Results: One hundred and twenty-two students completed the ANE at the two time points. Results for analysis of student confidence over time showed significant improvement on each of the eight domains of generalist nursing practice. There was no significant effect of gender or program type on student’s perceived self-confidence. Conclusions: Overall significant improvement in students’ self-assessed confidence from program mid-point to end-point lends support to the efficacy of a clinical teaching model that uses a high dose of simulation to substitute for traditional clinical hours. Key Words: Simulation, Nursing education, Self-confidence 1. I NTRODUCTION Nurse educators strive to improve the education of students so that new workforce entrants have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide care that is effective, efficient, and safe. The extensive knowledge and competencies students need to develop for entry into practice are often compounded by issues related to limited clinical placement sites and a nursing faculty shortage, affecting the clinical experiences of students in their nursing programs. Over the years, differ- ent models of teaching undergraduate nursing students have emerged with the aim of mitigating these challenges while providing high quality education to future nurse profession- als. The use of simulation has become a tool for innovating clin- ical teaching models for many types of healthcare profes- sionals. While the concept of “simulation” is not new, its * Correspondence: Donna E. McCabe; Email: donna.mccabe@nyu.edu; Address: New York University College of Nursing, 433 First Avenue, New York, United States. 52 ISSN 1925-4040 E-ISSN 1925-4059