Career Preparation, Nursing Students
Conditions
Keywords
Nursing Students, Mock Interview, Career Preparation
Brief summary
This single-group pretest-posttest pilot study evaluates the effect of a mock interview workshop, grounded in Self-Determination Theory, on career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) and interview performance among first-year undergraduate nursing students in China. The 6-hour workshop consisted of four stages designed to support autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Participants (N=155) completed validated CDMSE scales and mock interview evaluations before and after the intervention.
Detailed description
The intervention was developed based on the intrinsic motivation component of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). It was delivered over two weeks, totaling 6 class-hours (45 minutes per class-hour), divided into four stages: (1) Activating Autonomy in Career Decision-Making (interactive lecture on interview skills); (2) Demonstrating Competence in Career Decision-Making (live mock interview with structured questions); (3) Fostering Peer Support in Career Decision-Making (small-group role-playing and peer discussion); (4) Reflective Rehearsal (recorded video self-introduction). Outcomes were assessed using the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDMSE), Job Search Self-Efficacy Scale (JSSE), and a researcher-developed Mock Interview Evaluation Scale. The study was conducted between March and June 2025 at a university in China.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIntrinsic Motivation-Based Mock Interview Workshop
This behavioral intervention is a structured mock interview workshop grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), designed to enhance nursing students' career decision-making self-efficacy by supporting three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The intervention is delivered over two consecutive weeks, totaling 6 class-hours (45 minutes per class-hour). The workshop consists of four stages: Stage 1 (45 min) - Activating Autonomy in Career Decision-Making: Interactive lecture covering interview attire, resume writing, and pre-interview preparation; simulated job postings are distributed. Stage 2 (90 min) - Demonstrating Competence in Career Decision-Making: Live mock interviews where students respond to structured questions from two interviewers; performance is evaluated using the Mock Interview Evaluation Scale. Stage 3 (90 min) - Fostering Peer Support in Career Decision-Making: Small-group role-playing (6 students per group) where students rotate roles
Sponsors
China Medical University, China
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Masking description
This is a single-group study with no masking. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted by different instructors, but no blinding was applied.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. First-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a full-time program at the participating university 2. Willing to participate in the study and provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
1. Failure to complete all four stages of the mock interview workshop 2. Failure to complete either pre-intervention or post-intervention questionnaires within the stipulated timeframe
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) | Baseline; Week 2 | Career decision-making self-efficacy is assessed using the Chinese version of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (Peng \& Long, 2001). This 39-item scale measures confidence in completing career-related tasks across five subscales: Self-Appraisal (6 items), Occupational Information Gathering (9 items), Goal Selection (9 items), Planning (8 items), and Problem-Solving (7 items). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("no confidence at all") to 5 ("complete confidence"). Total scores range from 39 to 195, with higher scores indicating greater career decision-making self-efficacy. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency in this study (Cronbach's α = 0.912). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Job Search Self-Efficacy (JSSE) | Baseline; Week 2 | Job search self-efficacy is assessed using the 3-item Job Search Self-Efficacy Scale (Trougakos et al., 2007; Chinese version by Zhang, 2018). Items evaluate confidence in looking for job vacancies, identifying appropriate positions, and preparing a resume. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree"). Total scores range from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating greater job search self-efficacy. The scale showed good internal consistency in this study (Cronbach's α = 0.83). |
| Mock Interview Performance | Baseline; Week 2 | Mock interview performance is assessed using a researcher-developed 10-item Mock Interview Evaluation Scale. The scale evaluates three domains: Professional Demeanor (1 item), Verbal Communication (2 items), and Self-Recommendation Content (7 items). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 ("poor") to 5 ("excellent"), with weighted scores based on expert-assigned coefficients. Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating better interview performance. Content validity was established with a Scale-level Content Validity Index of 0.824, and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's α = 0.795). |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed