Many studies document the presence of stress and the need for social support in anesthesia students. By addressing these, one can increase students' self-efficacy, which is related to beliefs in one's ability to accomplish an objective. By measuring and instituting measures to increase self-efficacy, we could improve student selection in nurse anesthesia programs, and increase academic success and likelihood of retention. This article reviews the literature on this topic and makes recommendations for increasing student self-efficacy.