Palliative care education in undergraduate medical and nursing programs in Colombia: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: The number of people suffering from chronic diseases requiring palliative care (PC) is increasing rapidly. Therefore, PC teaching in undergraduate health science programs is necessary to improve primary PC based on international recommendations and available scientific evidence. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Active undergraduate medical and nursing programs that were approved by the Colombian Ministry of Education and integrated PC teaching into their curricula were included in the study. The total sample consisted of 48 programs: 31 nursing and 17 medical programs. RESULTS: PC competencies are distributed throughout the curriculum in 41.67% of programs, in elective courses in 31.25%, and in mandatory courses in 27.08% of the programs. The average PC teaching hours is 81 for nursing and 57.6 for medicine. PC clinical rotations are not offered in 75% of the programs. For undergraduate nursing programs, the most frequent competencies taught are the definition and history of PC and identifying common symptoms associated with advanced disease. In undergraduate medicine, the most common competencies are pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management and identification of PC needs. CONCLUSIONS: PC teaching in undergraduate health science programs mainly addresses the conceptual and theoretical aspects of PC, which are part of the competencies present throughout the programs' curricula. Low availability of PC clinical rotations was identified. Future studies should assess whether the low availability of clinical rotations in PC limits the ability of students to develop the practical competencies necessary to provide quality PC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Experiences of Teaching and Learning Pediatric Pain Management in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: The literature has revealed gaps in knowledge and attitudes regarding pediatric pain management among Ghanaian nurses and nursing students that can be attributed to inadequate education in the area. Consequently, nursing tutors teaching pain management might not have the appropriate knowledge to transfer to their students. PURPOSE: To explore nursing tutors' experiences of teaching pediatric pain management as well as their students' learning experiences before and after the tutors' training workshop. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative design was employed for the conduct of the study. METHODS: Data were collected via focus groups from 32 tutors and 24 students before and after an educational workshop. Data analysis drew on Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Pre-workshop themes revealed knowledge deficits regarding pediatric pain management in both tutors and students due to learning having occurred in bits and pieces. Furthermore, lack of accessibility to books and pain scales perpetuated this bits-and-pieces approach to learning. Post-workshop findings revealed gains in tutors' knowledge and skills. Consequently, students gained new insights into pediatric pain management. CONCLUSION: Tutors and student nurses had a knowledge deficit regarding pediatric pain management. The educational workshop and the provision of learning materials resulted in enhanced knowledge and attitudes that subsequently improved tutors' ability to effectively teach the topic to their students, with a clear implication for improvements in clinical practice. CLINICAL IMPLICATION: Educating nursing tutors about pediatric pain is imperative to enable students and thus future nurses to be equipped with the necessary evidence-based knowledge of how to manage pediatric pain.

Competency gap among graduating nursing students: what they have achieved and what is expected of them.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' professional competencies play a significant role in providing safe care to patients. Identifying the acquired and expected competencies in nursing education and the gaps between them can be a good guide for nursing education institutions to improve their educational practices. METHODS: In a descriptive-comparative study, students' perception of acquired competencies and expected competencies from the perspective of the Iranian nursing faculties were collected with two equivalent questionnaires consisting of 85 items covering 17 competencies across 5 domains. A cluster sampling technique was employed on 721 final-year nursing students and 365 Iranian nursing faculties. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the highest scores for students' acquired competencies and nursing faculties' expected competencies were work readiness and professional development, with mean of 3.54 (SD = 0.39) and 4.30 (SD = 0.45), respectively. Also, the lowest score for both groups was evidence-based nursing care with mean of 2.74 (SD = 0.55) and 3.74 (SD = 0.57), respectively. The comparison of competencies, as viewed by both groups of the students and the faculties, showed that the difference between the two groups' mean scores was significant in all 5 core-competencies and 17 sub-core competencies (P < .001). Evidence-based nursing care was the highest mean difference (mean diff = 1) and the professional nursing process with the lowest mean difference (mean diff = 0.70). CONCLUSION: The results of the study highlight concerns about the gap between expected and achieved competencies in Iran. Further research is recommended to identify the reasons for the gap between the two and to plan how to reduce it. This will require greater collaboration between healthcare institutions and nursing schools.

Implementation of a Mental Health Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Using Standards of Best Practice.

ABSTRACT: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is effective for the evaluation of clinical competence. Studies examining the use of OSCEs in undergraduate mental health nursing education in the United States are limited. A pilot study and a follow-up study were conducted to establish the reliability and validity of a mental health OSCE to evaluate the clinical competence of prelicensure nursing students. International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Standards of Best Practice were used to guide the design and implementation. Results from both studies provide evidence for the use of OSCE in undergraduate mental health nursing education.

Advancing health equity in prelicensure nursing curricula: Findings from a critical review.

Nurses play a crucial role in reducing health disparities and advancing health equity for individuals and communities. The future nursing workforce relies on their nursing education to prepare them to promote health equity. Nursing educators prepare students through a variety of andragogical learning strategies in the classroom and in clinical experiences and by intentionally updating and revising curricular content to address knowledge and competency gaps. This critical review aimed to determine the extent to which health equity concepts are explicitly present in prelicensure undergraduate nursing curricula globally. Of 434 articles screened, 22 articles describing 20 studies met inclusion criteria. Frequency and quantity of health equity content, concepts and topics, teaching strategies, evaluation strategies, and the overall extent of integration varied widely. Notably, only two articles described overall well-integrated explicit health equity content, and there was little attention to whether students transfer this learning into practice. A focus on individualism rather than population and community was noted, highlighting the presence of whiteness in nursing. Results from this review confirm that nursing education has room to improve with respect to health equity in the curricula.

Enhancing prone positioning and skin damage prevention education: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial comparing a digital education hub (PRONEtect) and a traditional lecture on final-year nursing participants' confidence and knowledge.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of pressure ulcers remains high in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, ventilated in the prone position. A digital platform, dedicated to prone positioning and skin/tissue damage education was developed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the PRONEtect Education Hub versus a traditional lecture on final-year nursing students' confidence levels and knowledge in a non-inferiority study. DESIGN: A multicenter, non-blinded, parallel-group, non-inferiority study with equal randomization (1:1 allocation) was conducted at two nursing schools in Belgium. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (NCT05575869). METHODS: Following baseline assessments, the control group received a 1-h classroom lecture, and the experimental group gained access to the PRONEtect website. Three weeks later, participants completed the knowledge, confidence, and visual knowledge assessment. RESULTS: At baseline, 67 of the 80 participants completed the assessments and post-intervention, 28 and 27 participants respectively completed the confidence, knowledge, and visual knowledge assessments (dropout rate of 66.25%). Confidence levels: a mean ratio of relative change from baseline = 0.96 (Control (C)/Experimental (E)); 97.5% confidence interval (CI): 0.74 to 1.26; p = 0.74. Knowledge assessment: a mean difference in change from baseline = 1.58 (C-E); 97.5% CI: -0.58 to 3.75; p = 0.1. Although confidence and knowledge scores increased in both groups, the study cannot conclude non-inferiority. CONCLUSIONS: The trade-off between the inability to conclude efficacy of the impact of the website and the benefit of having an accessible educational platform on prone positioning and skin damage prevention makes the PRONEtect Education Hub an acceptable adjunct to traditional lecturing.

The influence of the online education provided using the six thinking hat method on the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students regarding pressure injury prevention; a pilot study.

AIM: The study aims to investigate the influence of the online education given to nursing undergraduate students using the Six Thinking Hat Method (STHM) on their knowledge and attitudes related to pressure injury (PI) prevention. METHODS: This pilot study was conducted between March-June 2023. The research sample consists of 25 participants in the intervention group and 25 in the control group. The intervention group received an online education carried out utilizing the STHM. Data were collected using the Student Demographic Information Form, the Turkish version of the Pressure Injury Knowledge Assessment Tool 2.0 (PIKAT 2.0-Tr), and the Attitude Towards the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument (APuP). RESULTS: While there was no significant difference between the PIKAT 2.0-Tr and APuP mean scores of the groups at the pre-test measurements (p > 0.05), a difference was observed in favor of the intervention group in the first month (post-test 1) and third month (post-test 2) measurements (p < 0.05). The education provided through the STHM resulted in a meaningful and moderate effect, with an 11.7% increase in the PIKAT 2.0-Tr scores (η2 = 0.117; p = 0.003) and a substantial 29.5% increase in the APuP scores (η2 = 0.295; p = 0.000) for the students in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: It has been determined that the STHM, as an active teaching method, increases students' knowledge levels on PI prevention, supports the retention of knowledge, and enhances their attitudes. The STHM can be incorporated into nursing education as one of the innovative teaching methods.

Evaluation of final-year nursing students' attitudes towards preventing medical device-related pressure ulcers using a ABC model of affect, behavior and cognitive dimensions.

INTRODUCTION: Half of the hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are associated with the use of medical devices. Nursing students provide care services to patients in clinical settings and intensive care units who have or are at risk for medical device-related pressure ulcers (MDRPUs). In the prevention and care of MDRPUs, the attitudes of nursing students towards preventing of pressure ulcers are as crucial as their knowledge level and clinical skills. AIM: The aim of this descriptive study is to assess the attitudes of final-year nursing undergraduate students towards preventing MDRPUs across cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of ABC model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of the study was handed between April 1 and December 31, 2021, with 147 final-year nursing students. Data were collected using the Student Information Form and the Attitude Towards Preventing Medical Device-Related Pressure Ulcers Questionnaire (ATP-MDRPUsQ). RESULTS: The mean attitude score towards preventing MDRPUs was 3.98 ± 0.45 on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean scores for the cognitive, affective, and behavioral sub-dimensions were 3.88 ± 0.57, 4.15 ± 0.51, and 4.00 ± 0.672, respectively. A moderate positive relationship was found between the cognitive sub-dimension and both the affective and behavioral sub-dimensions (r = 0.451; r = 0.302; p < 0.01, respectively). Based on cluster analysis, the mean attitude scores of students towards MDRPU prevention were grouped into two clusters. The students in Cluster-2 and female students had higher mean attitude scores (p < 0.01). The item with the lowest mean score in the questionnaire pertained to the item, "I believe that I need training on the etiology and prevention of medical device-related pressure ulcers." CONCLUSION: The general attitudes of final-year nursing students towards prevention MDRPU were satisfactory. However, their cognitive attitudes were less positive compared to their affective and behavioral attitudes. It is recommended to incorporate theoretical and practical courses focusing on the prevention of these injuries into nursing curricula to enhance students' knowledge and attitudes.

Registered nurses' perceptions of nursing student preceptorship: Content analysis of open-ended survey questions.

Nursing preceptors play a crucial role in supporting and educating clinical students. Understanding the perceptions and needs of nurse preceptors is essential to enhance their role as preceptors and to improve their teaching practices. This study aimed to explore preceptorship in diverse settings and specific contexts. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses from a questionnaire based on nurses' perceptions of preceptorship with undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected from two university hospitals, with different healthcare provision levels. Of the 370 responses, 295 (96%) were those of women, and 34.5% were in the age group of 41-50 years. Three main themes were identified: (1) the role of preceptorship as a key component in learning, (2) challenges in student preceptorship, and (3) personal recognition and compensation for teaching work. This study highlights the positive experiences and provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by nurse preceptors in their teaching roles, and emphasizes the need for institutional support and educational programs to enhance their teaching responsibilities. Improving communication and collaboration among stakeholders is crucial for improving learning outcomes and satisfaction.

Effects of Simulation on Nursing students' Knowledge and Learning Related to Measles Vaccine and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Mixed Method Study.

Vaccine hesitancy is a persistent, global public health concern that community health nurses are well-positioned to manage. Simulations involving standardized patients are effective experiential learning on managing vaccine hesitancy for other allied health disciplines. A pretest-posttest design, with a mixed-methods, one-group, quasi-experimental approach, was used to examine the effectiveness of a simulation on nursing students' knowledge of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine hesitancy, as well as their attitudes toward the intervention. The study was completed with 61 participants. After participation in the simulation, pretest/posttest data showed a mean increase in participants' knowledge of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. There was a significant improvement in the test scores from 62.62 ± 14.82 to 69.50 ± 15.75; z = -3, 897 (1-17 days) (p = 0.001). A postintervention questionnaire revealed participants most appreciated the direct interaction with a live person, the opportunity to observe classmates' performance and share feedback, multistage structure, and safety. Drawbacks included stress from being observed by peers, time constraints, and the necessity of sharing the nursing role with a partner during the scenario. Another drawback is the simulation's inability to effectively prepare participants for hesitancy in clinical settings as they needed to assess natural clinical settings. Simulations incorporating vaccine hesitancy education and standardized patients can effectively prepare nursing students for situations related to vaccine hesitancy in community clinical settings.

The opinions and experiences of nursing students, nurses, and patients regarding clinical practices: A mixed-methods study.

The aim of this mixed-methods study was to examine the experiences of nursing students (NSs), nurses, and patients regarding the clinical practices of NSs and to determine NSs' stress levels regarding clinical practices. The quantitative part of the study was completed with 240 NSs, and the "Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students" was used. In the qualitative part, the focus group interviews were held with 24 NSs, and the individual interviews were conducted with 15 patients and 20 nurses. Descriptive and stepwise regression analyses were used to analyze quantitative data, and narrative analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Regression analysis determined that the age, grade point average, and attitude of mentors were associated with the perceived stress levels of NSs. In the narrative analysis of the data obtained from the interviews with NSs and nurses, four categories were identified: Emotions, Facilitators, Barriers, Roles, and Competencies. Three categories (Emotions, Problems, Roles, and Competencies) were identified from patient interviews. This study showed that NSs' clinical practice experiences were affected by many factors and experienced high stress during clinical practice.

Expert patients leading activities on social justice: towards patient-centered education.

BACKGROUND: Social justice is recognized by reputable international organizations as a professional nursing value. However, there are serious doubts as to whether it is embodied in Catalan nursing education. OBJECTIVES: To explore what nursing students take away from two teaching activities led by expert patients (one presentation and three expert patient illness narratives) on the topics of social justice, patient rights, and person-centered care. RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative study using a content analysis approach. The research plan included (1) think-pair-share activities (additional faculty-assisted presentation and three faculty-assisted, semi-structured scripted narratives); (2) paired reflections; (3) focus groups; and (4) content analysis of paired reflections and focus groups. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Fourth-year nursing degree students at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain. Convenience sampling was used. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The UAB Research Ethics Committee did not deem it necessary to apply any specific measures. We fully explained to patients that they could decide what medical information they would share with the students that was relevant to their learning, and we provided students with guidelines about patient confidentiality, dignity, and respect. FINDINGS/RESULTS: The students engaged in reflection about their education (recognizing that it had been centered on the professional and not the patient) and their relationship with the patient, in which they reproduced low-involvement patient care by modeling behaviors of their nurse educator. Moreover, they valued a person-centered care model with an emphasis on the emotional part but left out decision-making as an individual right of people. CONCLUSIONS: The think-pair-share activities were useful to spark self-reflection among students, who identified aspects to change in their own practice, and reflected about their own education process, both of which promote change.

Can nursing educators learn to trust the world's most trusted profession?

Nursing and nursing education face a paradox whereby the world's most trusted profession seems not to trust its own students and practitioners. Much of nursing education has adopted what has been memorably described as the 'cop shit' approach. This is the panoply of surveillance, anti-plagiarism and proctoring technologies that appear to be used more for policing and punishment of an inherently dishonest student body than to develop ethical and scholarly writing among future peers and colleagues. Nurses in practice may experience similar levels of distrust as they face growing micromanagement and control of both their appearance and nursing practice. We propose that these practices of distrust emerge, not from malice, but rather from the omnipresent neoliberalism and managerialism that engulf almost every aspect of health and university life. Neoliberalism's success has been to reformat academia and practice to the point where such ingrained mistrust has become merely a neutral recognition of 'the real world'. Dismantling nursing and education's 'cop shit' culture and replacing it with the trust and respect that the world's most trusted profession is accorded by wider society will not be easy, but it is vital for the future of nursing.

"He just teaches whatever he thinks is important": Analysis of comments in student evaluations of teaching.

Student evaluations of teaching are ubiquitous in higher education; however, most prior research has focused on the numeric ratings, with little systematic attention given to the qualitative comments. In this study, written comments were collected as part of the regular evaluation of a community health nursing course over four semesters. Taken as a whole, student comments were strikingly consistent and mostly negative. Students emphasized the authority of the textbook and framed the course as preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Instructor efforts to focus on critical analysis of social issues were met with confusion, suspicion, and resistance. Student comments were further analyzed in relation to 3 levels of discourse: the student/teacher level, the nursing-education level, and the social-historical level. For each level, the comments reveal problems, but not the ones suggested by a conventional reading of student evaluations. If students and teachers have conflicting expectations about goals and methods for learning, formal student evaluations may be less useful as a measure of teaching effectiveness. This study also raises troubling concerns about current practices in nursing pedagogy, particularly the emphasis on standardized testing and highly structured didactics, and the overlap between student evaluation systems and the technologies of neoliberalism.

Simulated Wound Care as a Competence Assessment Method for Student and Registered Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and use of a wound care simulation assessing RNs' and graduating student nurses' practical wound care competence and to describe observations of participants' wound care competence. METHODS: A descriptive, qualitative design was used. Data were collected in 2019 from 50 healthcare professionals and students using a simulated wound care situation and an imaginary patient case. The simulation was based on a previously developed and tested wound care competence assessment instrument, which included a 14-item checklist that assesses practical wound care competence of chronic wounds. The data were analyzed and described based on the 14 competence areas or as other competencies. RESULTS: Participants showed competence in identification of wound infection, debridement, dressing selection, tissue type identification, and consultation. Participants' shortcomings were related to pain assessment and management, asepsis, offloading, and documentation. Simulation was shown to be a promising tool to assess healthcare professionals' and students' practical wound care competence in a safe and standardized situation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided new information about simulation as a method to assess student nurses' and RNs' wound care competence. The results could be used in wound care education planning and development in both undergraduate nursing education and continuing education for nursing professionals.

Student Nurse Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Pressure Injury Prevention: How Sufficient Is Undergraduate Education?

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of student nurses regarding evidence-based guidelines for preventing pressure injuries. METHODS: This study used a descriptive research design. The participants included second-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students completing their bachelor's degrees at a faculty of nursing in Turkey. Data collection forms consisted of a student nurse information form, the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Knowledge Assessment Instrument, and the Attitude Towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument. RESULTS: The overall mean score for knowledge was 49.9% (11.7/26). The highest scores for the instrument's subthemes were for nutrition (72%), and the lowest were for etiology and development (40.1%). The overall mean attitude score was 42.20 ± 2.40, although a statistically significant difference among grades was found (P < .001). The highest mean scores showed agreement among students that pressure injury prevention should be a priority (10.50 ± 1.43). A significant difference was found in the competence subscale according to the number of dressing changes observed and sense of competence in pressure injury care (P = .003). A weak but statistically significant positive relationship was found between knowledge and attitude scores (r = 0.158; 95% confidence interval, .040-.269; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that certain revisions are needed in the nursing curriculum to improve the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward the prevention and care of pressure injuries. More details should be covered in the classroom and laboratories through simulation or clinical practice for improved management of pressure injuries.

Assessing Undergraduate Student Nurses' Performance in Various Public Health Roles Using Simulation.

Purpose: To expose students to various public health roles and complement clinical experience using simulated encounters.Design: This exploratory study assessed students' performance of basic nursing tasks for three public health nurse roles.Methods: 15-guided questions were used to evaluate a convenience sample of 137 students' expected performance compared to their actual performance of basic nursing skills.Findings: Students' performed well in all nurse roles with some significant differences in completing a few critical tasks in the case manager and school nurse roles.Conclusion: Simulation can address gaps in nursing programs and expose student nurses to various public health roles using real-life scenarios.Clinical Evidence: Lack of clinical sites in public health limits students' experience to a myriad of nurse functions within communities.

Faculty Perspectives of Teaching Pain Management to Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Pain management education is threaded through prelicensure nursing education. However, the perspectives of faculty teaching pain assessment and management within the context of the opioid crisis are not addressed in the literature. Pain assessment and management is a complex process requiring critical thinking and clinical reasoning. The current opioid crisis has brought new challenges to health care professionals who provide pain management, and this is a concern for nurses. AIMS: The purpose of the study was to discover the perspectives of nursing faculty on teaching pain management content in prelicensure nursing programs. DESIGN: Following a systematic review to determine gaps in knowledge, a qualitative study was conducted using nursing faculty as participants. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 17 faculty members from 15 nursing programs on the East Coast. METHODS: The qualitative descriptive approach allowed for a rich, detailed exploration of faculty perspectives. Qualitative content analysis of the participant narratives indicated the need to approach pain management education from a perspective of relieving suffering and preventing harm to patients rather than focusing on the opioid crisis. RESULTS: Participants perceived the opioid crisis as distinct from the legitimate use of pain medication. The findings indicate that nursing curricula includes only the basics of pain management. CONCLUSIONS: Participants' teaching practice was based on experiential learning rather than formal education and often was heavily influenced by a seminal event in their own nursing practice. The findings support the need to improve the education of undergraduate nursing students about pain management in the context of the current opioid crisis.

Essential global health competencies for baccalaureate nursing students in the United States: A mixed methods Delphi study.

AIMS: To reach consensus among experts on global health competencies for baccalaureate nursing students in the USA. DESIGN: A three-round modified Delphi study using a mixed methods research approach. METHODS: In the first round, the original list of competencies (Wilson et al., 2012, Journal of Professional Nursing, 28, 213-222) was revised based on prior research, a review of literature and the Nursing Global Health Competencies Framework developed by the fist author. Nine global health domains and 52 competencies were identified in Round One. In Round Two, two surveys were conducted for validation of the revised list of global health competencies using a group of six nurses with expertise in global health and baccalaureate nursing education, which produced modifications in the competencies used for the third phase of the study. In Round Three, 41 participants completed a survey to rate the extent to which they thought the competencies obtained in Round Two were essential for baccalaureate nursing education in the United States. Data collection took place from May 2017 - January 2018. RESULTS: A group of experts in global health and baccalaureate nursing education from the United States achieved consensus that 40 global health competencies were essential for baccalaureate nursing education in the United States. CONCLUSION AND IMPACT: The domains and competencies derived in this study can be used to guide undergraduate nursing curriculum development in global health and provide a framework for both clinical instruction and evaluation of global health student experiences.

Attributes associated with person-centered care competence among undergraduate nursing students.

Person-centered care is widely recognized as a promising practice to improve patient care quality. However, little is known about the competencies of nursing students who are essential to providing high-quality person-centered care. In this study, relevant attributes, including professional nursing competence, empathy, and self-awareness, were examined in relation to person-centered care competence among South Korean nursing students while controlling for individual characteristics, including age, gender, religion, and academic performance. Data were collected from 213 senior students enrolled in four nursing schools in South Korea from November 15 to 30, 2017. The mean age of the nursing students in the sample was 23 years. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses while accounting for the students nested in their schools. Professional nursing competence and empathy were strongly associated with person-centered care competence among nursing students. Of the five aspects of professional nursing competence, human understanding and communication skills were the most likely to be associated with person-centered care competence. Moreover, there were few variations across nursing schools in the levels of professional nursing competence. Our findings corroborate the importance of developing better communication skills and empathy to improve and maintain person-centered care competence among nursing students who belong to a new generation.