Emotional Skills and Nursing Training: A Study on Italian Students and a TRI-COM-Based Educational Model

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychology
• Emotional Competence

Background:

• Emotional competence is vital in nursing but often neglected in curricula.
• The TRI-COM model is proposed to define and operationalize emotions in nursing.
• This study explores the structure of emotional competence in nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the TRI-COM model as a framework for emotional competence in nursing.
• To investigate the multidimensional structure of emotional competence among nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involved 233 Italian nursing students.
• Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE-HPS).
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlations.

Main Results:

• Students scored near the clinical threshold for alexithymia (TAS-20 mean=60.36).
• Externally oriented thinking was prevalent (EOT subscale highest mean).
• Empathy scores were higher for Perspective Taking than Compassionate Care; females scored higher in Perspective Taking.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest nursing students may use rationalization and detachment as coping strategies.
• The TRI-COM model provides a preliminary framework for interpreting emotional competence in nursing education.
• Further research is required to validate the TRI-COM model's educational utility and practical applications.