Effectiveness Of Self-Efficacy Theory in Dealing with Specific Issues
As developed by Albert Bandura, the self-efficacy theory revolves around a person’s ability to undertake behaviours that lead to a specific outcome (Moran, Israel, & Sebelski, 2021). The internal criticism of the theory reveals that it is limited in scope. This is because although the theory is centred on an individual’s beliefs, it considers some factors that may impact an individual’s behaviour. A person’s environment may hurt their behaviour, and the theory does not consider such factors (Farazian et al., 2019). Similarly, the theory does not provide clear and justified definitions of elements such as the outcome expectations and the perceived control that a person has. These elements are not clearly defined, so it is difficult to test the theory and its effectiveness in dealing with specific issues.
Regarding the external criticism of the theory, it is evident that it does not have much empirical support to cement its effectiveness and applicability in nursing practice (Farazian et al., 2019). Although the theory has some support based on research to some extent, studies have not ascertained the ability of the theory to make use of the connection between beliefs and behaviour among individuals, as the behaviour may be affected by other factors in a person’s environment (Moran, Israel, & Sebelski, 2021). The other challenge of the theory is that it relies heavily on a person’s report, which may hurt its effectiveness and applicability in nursing. Despite these shortcomings, the theory can have a role to play in nursing as it can be used in understanding certain behaviours based on the ability of a person to implement the behaviour and, in the process, attain the desired goals and outcomes.
This discussion helps attain various student learning outcomes, especially in gaining the ability to critique nursing theories. Critiquing nursing theories is essential in determining their validity and reliability in practice and their ability to advance the nursing profession. Critiquing theories in determining the ones supported by empirical evidence and the ones with the most significant potential in attaining effective patient care is also essential. Determining the theory applied in practice is essential in improving patient outcomes based on their effectiveness in attaining the desired outcomes. The quality of care depends on the methods applied by the practitioners.