Influence of nursing students' perceptions of clinical instructor caring on their professional values

Abstract

Background: Caring is an integral part of the nursing profession. The standards that guide nurses when caring for patients are the professional values which are learned throughout the career. In this process of learning, clinical instructors might play an important role since they have been identified as powerful role models for their students.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing students' perceptions of clinical instructor caring and students' professional values.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between January and July 2024. A total of 407 nursing students from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), ≥18 years old of both sexes were invited to complete the Spanish version of the scales: Nursing Students' Perception of Instructor Caring scale (S-NSPIC) and Nursing Professional Values (S-EVPS).

Results: A statistically significant correlation was found between nursing students' perceptions of clinical instructor caring and students' professional values (r = 0.279, p ≤0.01), with the subscale "Confidence through caring" explaining 7 % of the total S-EVPS score.

Conclusion: Clinical instructors contribute to shape students' professional values, being instructors' expressive caring behavior a key factor that contribute to students' learning of professionalism.