Caring for nursing students is caring for patients: A multicentre cross-sectional study on the relationship between nursing students' caring and the perception of instructors' caring

Background: Caring in nursing is a fundamental aspect, yet teaching and fostering caring behaviours in nursing students remain challenging. Clinical instructors play a crucial role in this process. Objectives: The aims of this study were a) to describe nursing students' caring behaviours and perceptions of instructor caring, b) to assess sex-related and year of course differences in students' caring behaviours and perceptions of nursing caring, and c) to investigate the association between nursing students' caring and their perception of instructors' caring. Design: A multi-centre, cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Setting: The study involved undergraduate nursing students from four teaching hospitals of a university in Northern Italy. Participants: A total of 316 nursing undergraduate students participated in the study (83.9 % female, 16.1 % male, 23.1 % 1st year, 48.1 % 2nd year, 28.8 % 3rd year). Methods: Participants completed online self-reported surveys assessing caring behaviours, empathy, burnout, and perceptions of instructor caring. Caring behaviours, expressive and instrumental caring, were measured using the Caring Behaviour Inventory (CBI), and perceptions of instructor caring were assessed using the Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring (NSPIC) questionnaire. Results: Students' caring behaviours were positively associated with their perceptions of instructor caring, particularly in relation to a supportive learning climate and instructor flexibility. Female students displayed higher scores in expressive caring, while students in their second and third years demonstrated increased instrumental caring behaviours. Responding to Individual Needs was significantly lower in third-years students, compared to first- and second-year ones. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the crucial role of clinical instructors in shaping nursing students' caring attributes. However, the influence of sex on caring behaviours remains unclear, necessitating further investigation. These findings underscore the significance of nurturing caring behaviours in nursing education and offer insights for selecting, training, and supporting clinical instructors, to foster more compassionate and competent nurses.