Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application

Cyruz P. Tuppal; Mandy Roie A Atendido; Ana Blesilda C Atendido; Leah Kalayaan A. Pellacœur; August I. Manzon; Anna Mae G. Rivera; Karen P. Pascua; Arif Adi Setiawan; Bradley K. Loo; Carmi P. Ejercito; Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo; Shanine Mae P. Tuppal; Jennifer Joy R. Olivar; Mary Jane O. Canon

doi:10.14710/nmjn.v15i3.73465

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v15i3.73465

Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application

*Cyruz P. Tuppal

- Institute of Nursing, University of Makati, Philippines

Mandy Roie A Atendido

- College of Health Sciences-Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Philippines

Ana Blesilda C Atendido

- College of Health Sciences-Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Philippines

Leah Kalayaan A. Pellacœur

- Institute of Nursing, University of Makati, Philippines

August I. Manzon

- College of Nursing, Arellano University, Philippines

Anna Mae G. Rivera

- College of Nursing, Arellano University, Philippines

Karen P. Pascua

- College of Health and Allied Studies, St. Dominic College of Asia, Philippines

Arif Adi Setiawan

- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta, Indonesia

Bradley K. Loo

- Division Office of San Juan, Department of Education, Philippines

Carmi P. Ejercito - College of Nursing, Arellano University, Philippines

Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo

- College of Nursing, Centro Escolar University, Philippines

Shanine Mae P. Tuppal

- Nursing Service Office, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippines

Jennifer Joy R. Olivar

- College of Health Allied Sciences, St. Paul University Manila, Philippines

Mary Jane O. Canon - College of Nursing, Calamba Doctors’ College, Philippines

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{NMJN73465,
    author = {Cyruz Tuppal and Mandy Roie Atendido and Ana Blesilda Atendido and Leah Kalayaan Pellacœur and August Manzon and Anna Mae Rivera and Karen Pascua and Arif Adi Setiawan and Bradley Loo and Carmi P. Ejercito and Ma. Mercedes Gaerlan Loo and Shanine Mae Tuppal and Jennifer Joy Olivar and Mary Jane O. Canon},
    title = {Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application},
    journal = {Nurse Media Journal of Nursing},
  volume = {15},
    number = {3},
    year = {2025},
    keywords = {Confidence; legal education; legal literacy; nursing students, PLS-SEM; perceived importance},
    abstract = {      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.     },
   issn = {2406-8799},   pages = {312--326}  doi = {10.14710/nmjn.v15i3.73465},
    url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/medianers/article/view/73465}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

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.

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Keywords: Confidence; legal education; legal literacy; nursing students, PLS-SEM; perceived importance

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In Vol 15, No 3 (2025): (December 2025) (In Progress)

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Legal Literacy Among Nursing Students in the Philippines: The Roles of Legal Education Exposure, Perceived Importance, and Confidence in Legal Application

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