The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates
Abstract Introduction Caring ability is a necessary ability for nursing staff, which can be improved through acquired training. The cultivation of students’ caring ability is the key to determine the quality of nursing in the future. While there is an extensive body of literature on the caring abili...
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2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07197-5 |
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| author | Han Su Hui Zhai Yuanbo Li Bo Xin Xiaoying Shen Xin Du Yan Cui Xuemei Zhu |
| author_facet | Han Su Hui Zhai Yuanbo Li Bo Xin Xiaoying Shen Xin Du Yan Cui Xuemei Zhu |
| author_sort | Han Su |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Caring ability is a necessary ability for nursing staff, which can be improved through acquired training. The cultivation of students’ caring ability is the key to determine the quality of nursing in the future. While there is an extensive body of literature on the caring abilities of nursing students, numerous factors influence these abilities, and there remains a paucity of research on the nexus between self-compassion and caring ability. This study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of altruistic behavior and communication skills in the relationship between self-compassion and caring ability among nursing students. Methods The subjects of this study were 1567 undergraduate nursing students from four universities in different regions of China. An online survey was conducted using the Caring Ability Inventory (CAI), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire of College Students (ABQ-CS), and Supportive Communication Scale (SCS). SPSS 25.0 was utilized for descriptive analysis, independent sample t-tests, variance analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. AMOS 23.0 was employed for mediation analysis. Results The total scores of caring ability was 184.65 ± 23.65. The results showed that caring ability was significantly correlated with self-compassion(r = 0.614,P<0.001), altruistic behavior (r = 0.698,P<0.001) and supportive communication skills (r = 0.581,P<0.001). The direct effects of self-compassion (β = 0.304;0.259 ~ 0.349), altruistic behavior (β = 0.429;0.380 ~ 0.477), communication skills (β = 0.151; 0.110 ~ 0.194) on caring ability were confirmed. The self-compassion has indirect effects (β = 0.312;0.278 ~ 0.348) on caring ability by altruistic behavior and supportive communication skills among nursing student. The indirect effects accounted for total effect 30.88% with the direct effects accounted 69.12%. Conclusions The caring ability of nursing students is at the medium level. The altruistic behavior and communication skills of nursing students have mediating roles between self-compassion and caring ability. To improve caring ability for nursing students, educational strategies must be created to improve the self-compassion, altruistic behavior and communication skills. Interventions that self-compassion nursing students have the potential to enhance caring ability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-54949a692d374e009bd82052a988dbce |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-54949a692d374e009bd82052a988dbce2025-08-20T02:55:31ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-04-012511810.1186/s12909-025-07197-5The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduatesHan Su0Hui Zhai1Yuanbo Li2Bo Xin3Xiaoying Shen4Xin Du5Yan Cui6Xuemei Zhu7Medical College of Jinzhou Medical UniversityThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityWomen and Children’s Hospital of JinzhouHealth Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityAbstract Introduction Caring ability is a necessary ability for nursing staff, which can be improved through acquired training. The cultivation of students’ caring ability is the key to determine the quality of nursing in the future. While there is an extensive body of literature on the caring abilities of nursing students, numerous factors influence these abilities, and there remains a paucity of research on the nexus between self-compassion and caring ability. This study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of altruistic behavior and communication skills in the relationship between self-compassion and caring ability among nursing students. Methods The subjects of this study were 1567 undergraduate nursing students from four universities in different regions of China. An online survey was conducted using the Caring Ability Inventory (CAI), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire of College Students (ABQ-CS), and Supportive Communication Scale (SCS). SPSS 25.0 was utilized for descriptive analysis, independent sample t-tests, variance analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. AMOS 23.0 was employed for mediation analysis. Results The total scores of caring ability was 184.65 ± 23.65. The results showed that caring ability was significantly correlated with self-compassion(r = 0.614,P<0.001), altruistic behavior (r = 0.698,P<0.001) and supportive communication skills (r = 0.581,P<0.001). The direct effects of self-compassion (β = 0.304;0.259 ~ 0.349), altruistic behavior (β = 0.429;0.380 ~ 0.477), communication skills (β = 0.151; 0.110 ~ 0.194) on caring ability were confirmed. The self-compassion has indirect effects (β = 0.312;0.278 ~ 0.348) on caring ability by altruistic behavior and supportive communication skills among nursing student. The indirect effects accounted for total effect 30.88% with the direct effects accounted 69.12%. Conclusions The caring ability of nursing students is at the medium level. The altruistic behavior and communication skills of nursing students have mediating roles between self-compassion and caring ability. To improve caring ability for nursing students, educational strategies must be created to improve the self-compassion, altruistic behavior and communication skills. Interventions that self-compassion nursing students have the potential to enhance caring ability.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07197-5Nursing studentSelf-compassionCaring abilityCommunication skillsAltruistic behavior |
| spellingShingle | Han Su Hui Zhai Yuanbo Li Bo Xin Xiaoying Shen Xin Du Yan Cui Xuemei Zhu The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates BMC Medical Education Nursing student Self-compassion Caring ability Communication skills Altruistic behavior |
| title | The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| title_full | The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| title_fullStr | The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| title_full_unstemmed | The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| title_short | The mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self-compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| title_sort | mediating effects of altruistic behavior and communication skills between self compassion and caring ability in nursing undergraduates |
| topic | Nursing student Self-compassion Caring ability Communication skills Altruistic behavior |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07197-5 |
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