Nursing Students' Caring Behavior as an Outcome of Instructors' Caring: First Results from an International Study

Theoretically, caring relationships between faculty and student generates a caring moment. However, there is a scarcity of empirical evidence about how caring interactions with faculty can enhance students’ caring outcomes.  The aim of this study was to identify the levels of students’ and instructors’ caring behavior and to investigate if there is a correlation between instructors’ and students’ caring behavior.  A descriptive, non – experimental design was used in this study. Data Collection was based on interviews using two standardized questionnaires; the Nursing Students’ Perception of Instructor Caring (NSPIC) and the Caring Behavior Inventory (CBI). Respondents consist of nursing students from identified schools and colleges of nursing in different countries. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means, percentages and standard deviations are been utilized. Inferential statistics such as pearson r correlation and regression analysis have been used to determined correlations between relevant variables. Level of significance accepted is p < 0.05.  The sample consists of 368 nursing students (91% female, 9% male) from seven countries  (26% Philippines, 31.5% Greece, 1% Kenya, 0.5 Oman, 35.5% India, 5% Nigeria, 0.5% Saudi Arabia). Forty two percent of students are in the second years of studies, 13% in the third year and 45% in the fourth year. The mean score of NSPIC is 4.02±0.30 and the mean of CBI is 4.56±0.13. The mean for each factor of NSPIC is 4.39±0.13 for the factor “instills confidence through caring”, 3.92±0.212 for “supportive learning climate”, 4.06±0.06 for “appreciation of life’s meaning”, 3.66±0.11 for “control versus flexibility” and 4.01±0.48 for “respectful sharing”.  The mean for each factor of CBI is 4.63±0.11 for the factor “assurance”, 4.58±0.06 for “knowledge and skills”, 4.55±0.18 for “respectful” and 4.47±0.14 for “connectedness”. Correlation analysis showed statistically significance between relevant variables.  Instructors’ caring behavior affects nursing students’ caring behavior. Through positive faculty modeling and role modeling, nursing students can be professionally trained to develop the competence of caring. Moreover, when the climate of nursing education is perceived as caring, students acquire a professional way of being and learn to care as a professional nurse.