Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application
Dublin Core
Title
Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application
Subject
Confidence; legal education; legal
literacy; nursing students, PLS-
SEM; perceived importance
literacy; nursing students, PLS-
SEM; perceived importance
Description
Background: Legal literacy remains an underdeveloped yet critical domain in
Philippine nursing education. Despite the increasing complexity of healthcare,
undergraduate curricula offer limited structured training in legal knowledge and its
clinical application, potentially affecting students’ readiness to navigate medico-
legal challenges.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine a structural model of legal literacy among
Filipino nursing students, focusing on the roles of legal education exposure,
perceived importance of legal knowledge, and confidence in legal application.
Methods: This cross-sectional study employed purposive sampling and involved
300 undergraduate nursing students from multiple institutions. Legal literacy was
conceptualized as nurses’ capacity to understand and apply medico-legal principles
in clinical decision-making and patient advocacy. Data were collected using a self-
administered questionnaire developed for this study and analyzed using Partial
Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Results: All constructs demonstrated high reliability (CR > 0.93) and convergent
validity (AVE > 0.76). Legal Literacy was significantly predicted by perceived
importance of legal knowledge (β = 0.389, p < 0.001) and confidence in legal
application (β = 0.256, p < 0.001). Confidence partially mediated the relationship
between perceived importance and legal literacy (β = 0.057, p = 0.013). Legal
education exposure showed an indirect effect on legal literacy through perceived
importance (β = –0.118, p = 0.003). The model explained 84.0% of the variance in
legal literacy, with acceptable model fit and strong predictive relevance (SRMR =
0.042; Q2 > 0.49). Moderation by year level was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The findings support a structural model of legal literacy that
underscores the importance of both attitudinal valuation and confidence in
application. Integrating legal education with experiential learning and strategies
that enhance self-efficacy may strengthen legal readiness among nursing graduates.
Philippine nursing education. Despite the increasing complexity of healthcare,
undergraduate curricula offer limited structured training in legal knowledge and its
clinical application, potentially affecting students’ readiness to navigate medico-
legal challenges.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine a structural model of legal literacy among
Filipino nursing students, focusing on the roles of legal education exposure,
perceived importance of legal knowledge, and confidence in legal application.
Methods: This cross-sectional study employed purposive sampling and involved
300 undergraduate nursing students from multiple institutions. Legal literacy was
conceptualized as nurses’ capacity to understand and apply medico-legal principles
in clinical decision-making and patient advocacy. Data were collected using a self-
administered questionnaire developed for this study and analyzed using Partial
Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Results: All constructs demonstrated high reliability (CR > 0.93) and convergent
validity (AVE > 0.76). Legal Literacy was significantly predicted by perceived
importance of legal knowledge (β = 0.389, p < 0.001) and confidence in legal
application (β = 0.256, p < 0.001). Confidence partially mediated the relationship
between perceived importance and legal literacy (β = 0.057, p = 0.013). Legal
education exposure showed an indirect effect on legal literacy through perceived
importance (β = –0.118, p = 0.003). The model explained 84.0% of the variance in
legal literacy, with acceptable model fit and strong predictive relevance (SRMR =
0.042; Q2 > 0.49). Moderation by year level was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The findings support a structural model of legal literacy that
underscores the importance of both attitudinal valuation and confidence in
application. Integrating legal education with experiential learning and strategies
that enhance self-efficacy may strengthen legal readiness among nursing graduates.
Creator
Cyruz P. Tuppal1
, Mandy Roie A. Atendido2, Ana Blesilda C. Atendido2, Leah Kalayaan A. Pellacœur1
,
August I. Manzon3, Anna Mae G. Rivera3, Karen P. Pascua4, Arif Adi Setiawan5, Bradley K. Loo6,
Carmi P. Ejercito3, Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo7
, Shanine Mae P. Tuppal8, Jennifer R. Olivar9,
Mary Jane O. Canon10
, Mandy Roie A. Atendido2, Ana Blesilda C. Atendido2, Leah Kalayaan A. Pellacœur1
,
August I. Manzon3, Anna Mae G. Rivera3, Karen P. Pascua4, Arif Adi Setiawan5, Bradley K. Loo6,
Carmi P. Ejercito3, Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo7
, Shanine Mae P. Tuppal8, Jennifer R. Olivar9,
Mary Jane O. Canon10
Source
https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v15i3.73465
Date
30 December 2025
Contributor
peri irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Collection
Citation
Cyruz P. Tuppal1
, Mandy Roie A. Atendido2, Ana Blesilda C. Atendido2, Leah Kalayaan A. Pellacœur1
,
August I. Manzon3, Anna Mae G. Rivera3, Karen P. Pascua4, Arif Adi Setiawan5, Bradley K. Loo6,
Carmi P. Ejercito3, Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo7
, Shanine Mae P. Tuppal8, Jennifer R. Olivar9,
Mary Jane O. Canon10, “Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 21, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/11335.