Patience, sociocultural patterns and self-reported caring behaviours among nursing students

This study examined whether patience is associated with caring behaviours among nursing students and its relevance to emotion regulation-related processes and professional socialisation. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 861 nursing students. Data were collected using measures of patience and caring behaviours and analysed using descriptive statistics, group comparisons, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Patience was positively associated with caring behaviours (r = 0.365, p < 0.001). Patience scores varied across academic year and socio-cultural characteristics. After adjustment for gender and academic year, patience remained associated with caring behaviour scores. These findings position patience not as a direct measure of emotion regulation or a causal determinant of caring, but as a distinct psychological attribute relevant to maintaining attentive and respectful engagement during demanding care interactions. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to clarify its relationship with measured emotion regulation processes and its practical significance for nursing education.