Compassion Competence Among Nursing Students From Different Cultures: A Multinational Study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Compassion competence is crucial for nurses, involving patient-centered care and sensitive communication.
• Assessing compassion competence in nursing students is vital for future healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the compassion competence of a diverse, multinational cohort of undergraduate nursing students.
• To identify factors influencing compassion competence among nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• 1,158 undergraduate nursing students participated, selected via stratified random sampling.
• The Compassion Competence Scale was utilized for data collection.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in compassion competence were observed based on country of residence, marital status, and academic level.
• Age demonstrated a significant correlation with compassion competence, unlike gender.
• Students across all surveyed countries reported high mean scores in sensitivity to patient needs.

Conclusions:

• Effective communication and understanding patient needs are key components of compassion competence.
• Undergraduate nursing curricula should prioritize the development of these essential skills.
• Further research may explore interventions to enhance compassion competence in nursing students.