Dyadic social interaction paradigm reveals selective role of ovarian estrogen in the caring behavior and socially transferred pain in female mice.

When a naïve observer meets with a familiar conspecific in pain, mice may have a myriad of social (sniffing, allolicking, allogrooming, huddling) and non-social (self-grooming) behaviors under dyadic social interaction (DSI) paradigm. Unlike male, female observers express more allolicking behavior toward injury site of a familiar female in pain, but with less body allogrooming. In current study, we investigated roles of natural estrus cycle phases and ovarian estrogen in these behaviors and results showed that: (1) there was no changes in above behaviors in terms of latency, time and bouts across different natural estrus cycle phases in intact female. (2) however, ovariectomy (OVX) changed estrus cycle phases, lowered circulating level of ovarian estrogen, reduced time and bouts of allolicking behavior and increased time of self-grooming without affecting other behaviors. Moreover, OVX in observers decreased social buffering effect of DSI on spontaneous pain-related behavior in demonstrator relative to naïve and sham controls. (3) treatment of OVX-female with ß-estradiol (E2) or progesterone (PROG) as replacement therapies, only E2 reversed impairment of allolicking behavior. (4) Additionally, socially transferred pain could be identified in intact female across all estrus cycle phases post-DSI, but disappeared in OVX-female, which could be reversed completely by E2 but not by PROG. (5) Finally, serum levels of estrogen, PROG, oxytocin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), prolactin, norepinephrine and 5-HT were examined by ELISA after E2, results showed only AVP level was significantly increased. These results suggest both injury site-targeted caring behavior and socially transferred pain are selectively dependent on ovarian estrogen.

Proactive Personality and Caring Behavior of Clinical Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Intelligence and Disgust Sensitivity.

The aims of the research were to investigate the mediating effect of emotional intelligence and the moderating effect of disgust sensitivity on the relationship between proactive personality and caring behavior among clinical nurses. A cross-sectional design while adhering to STROBE guidelines was used for this study. Three hundred ninety-three purposely selected nurses from three tertiary general hospitals completed an online survey. Measures included proactive personality, emotional intelligence, disgust sensitivity, and caring behavior. The findings showed that proactive personality positively predicted nurses' caring behavior, and that emotional intelligence played a mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and caring behavior. Disgust sensitivity indirectly and negatively moderated the impact of proactive personality on nurses' caring behavior mainly in the second half of this moderated relationship. The findings underscore that the nursing managers may consider incorporating emotional intelligence topic in practical nursing skills training and improving nurses' ability to control their disgust sensitivity can improve their professional behavior, thus to provide patients with high-quality nursing services.

Insights into the relationship between professional values and caring behavior among nurses in neonatal intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE: Professional values are crucial for delivering high-quality care in neonatal intensive care units while caring behavior impacts nurses' performance and well-being. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between professional values and caring behavior among nurses in neonatal intensive care units. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 172 nurses was conducted using the Nursing Professional Value Scale and Caring Behaviors Assessment Tool. The study was carried out between 1 October and 5 December 2023. RESULTS: Nurses demonstrated a moderate to high degree of professional commitment, with a mean professional value score of 91.1 ± 11.1. The mean score for caring behavior was 99.7 ± 12.4. The highest-rated domain was setting up a supporting, protective, and corrective environment, with a mean score of 22.8 ± 2.7. A low positive relationship was found between the supportive, protective, and corrective environment domain and nurses' professional value (r = 0.18, p = 0.017), as well as between overall caring behavior and nurses' professional value (r = 0.16, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: The results indicate a favorable relationship between professional values and caring behavior, especially in areas like establishing a supportive workplace. However, both professional value and caring behavior needs improvement in certain aspect. Enhancing these aspects could further strengthen their relationship, ultimately improving the quality of care provided to newborn patients and their families. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To cultivate a positive work environment and instill caring behaviors and professional values among NICU nurses, it is imperative to allocate sufficient time and resources. This investment is necessary for nurturing a culture of care, improving patient outcomes, and fostering a supportive environment for NICU nurses, newborn, and their families.

Experiences of nursing students on the caring behavior of their instructors: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Compassion and empathy form the bedrock of nursing, essential for sincere and integral healthcare practice. This study delves into the multifaceted dimensions of caring in nursing, exploring its physical and emotional aspects. Nursing instructors are pivotal in infusing active learning strategies that cultivate caring behaviors among students, preparing them for healthcare's technical and compassionate aspects. Positive interactions between instructors and students impact students' academic performance and personal development by creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment, fostering openness to constructive feedback, building students' self-esteem and confidence, and helping them manage academic stresses and anxieties. AIM: The study explored Kazakh nursing students' experiences regarding their instructors' caring behavior. DESIGN: Exploratory qualitative research using a thematic approach. SETTING: A university situated in Astana, Kazakhstan. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven (11) Kazakh nursing students. METHODS: This study utilized purposive sampling to collect data from Kazakh nursing students from January to March 2024. The researcher adhered to ethical guidelines and ensured the rigor and trustworthiness of the study. The data were analyzed using the thematic approach. RESULT: One hundred fifty-nine initial codes were identified, and after the codes were grouped and categorized, ten subthemes and four major themes were developed. The four major themes are Caring Creates a Supportive and Inclusive Environment for Learning, Caring Qualities of an Instructor, Caring is Cultural in Nature, and Negative Consequences of an Instructor's Over-Caring. CONCLUSION: According to nursing students' experience, instructors' caring behavior is crucial in maintaining the student-teacher relationship and motivating and collaborating. On the other hand, overly caring may lead to irresponsibility, impaired personal development, and disrespect from students toward instructors.

Spirituality, Religiosity, Caring Behavior, Spiritual Care, and Personalized Care Among Student Nurses: A Descriptive Correlational Study in the Philippines.

This study sought to determine the student nurses' spirituality, religiosity, caring behavior, spiritual care, and personalized care. Further, it sought to determine the relationship between spirituality, religiosity, and caring behavior in student nurses' spiritual care and personalized care. The study used a descriptive correlational design using convenience sampling to collect data from 1248 student nurses in the Philippines from December 2023 to February 2024. We collected data using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Scale rating scale and the Caring Behaviors Inventory. The study revealed that the mean scores of the students in their "spirituality" and "religiosity" were 4.08 (SD = 0.98) and 2.99 (SD = 1.26), respectively. Student nurses had sufficient confidence and skills in spiritual care, caring behavior, and personalized care. The students' age had a weak and negative association with the students' spirituality and religiosity. Students from University A had higher levels of spirituality and religiosity than students from University B, University C, and University D. Students in the 4th year level were more religious than 3rd year students. Students who had their last clinical exposure in the Admission and emergency room reported poorer caring behaviors than those who had previous clinical exposure in the Medical-surgical ward, Obstetrics and gynecology, Intensive Care Units, and Community. There is no significant relationship between a student nurse's spiritual care and caring behavior. This trend is similar to caring behavior and personalized care. The students' age predicts their personalized care.

The role of Empathy in the relationship between emotional support and caring behavior towards patients among intern nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The empathic relationship between nursing students and patients allows them to understand and address caring behavior for patients. Appropriate emotional support equips them to overcome the complexities and difficulties inherent in patient care. This support cultivates resilience and self-awareness, enabling students to manage their emotions effectively and establish meaningful connections and caring with their patients. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of empathy in the association between emotional support and caring behavior toward patients among intern nursing students at Alexandria and Damanhur University. SUBJECTS: The study subjects were 200 intern nursing students in their internship years of 2022-2023, randomly selected from an equal sample size from Alexandria and Damanhur University, Egypt. TOOLS: A questionnaire of social information& academics from students, the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, the Caring Dimension Inventory, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support are used to collect participants' data. RESULTS: Empathy was associated with caring behavior and emotional support among nursing students (P < 0.001), and higher levels of empathy indicated increased levels of caring behavior and emotional support. The caring behavior significantly increased when intern nursing students received more emotional support and among those who were not working in private hospitals (p < 0.001,&p = 0.023 respectively). Empathy acts as a mediating role in the relationship between emotional support and caring behavior. IMPLICATIONS: Implementing strategies to assist interns in navigating challenges and promoting a culture of support can facilitate the cultivation of caring behaviors. Shedding light on the interconnectedness of empathy, emotional support, and caring behavior can inform the design of interventions to strengthen empathy as a pathway to improving patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: Empathy is a mediating factor in the relationship between emotional support and caring behavior. This suggests that interventions promoting empathy may serve as a pathway to enhancing caring behavior among nursing students and strategies for improving patient care outcomes by strengthening empathy skills among healthcare professionals.

The impact of work environment on caring behavior among Chinese hospice nurses: the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and empathy.

Introduction: The caring behavior of hospice nurses toward patients positively impacts their professional careers and significantly improves the quality of hospice services. A positive and supportive work environment may protect nurses against negative emotions that may affect the humanistic care they provide, and their job satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the impact of the nursing work environment on caring behavior. We also investigated the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and empathy on this relationship among Chinese hospice nurses. Methods: The Practice Environment Scale (PES), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), the Empathy Ability Scale for Hospice Nurses, and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) were used to survey 393 Chinese hospice nurses. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.0 were used for statistical processing to analyze the mediating effects. Results: The nursing work environment positively predicted caring behavior. Furthermore, it was found that psychological capital and empathy jointly mediate the relationship between the nursing work environment and caring behavior. Conclusion: This study reveals how the nursing work environment affects the caring behavior of hospice nurses. Hospital managers need to provide hospice nurses with a favorable working environment from the perspective of positive psychology, continuously monitor their psychological state, improve their caring behavior, and provide references for developing intervention plans to promote the caring behavior of hospice nurses in the future.

Moral sensitivity and caring behavior in nursing interns: the mediating role of empathy.

Background: The main purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between moral sensitivity, empathy, and caring behaviors and to explore the mediating effect of empathy on moral sensitivity and caring behaviors of nursing interns. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to September 2022 in which 261 nursing interns from two Grade 3A Hospitals in Xi'an participated. The questionnaires used in the survey include the General Information Questionnaire (GIQ), the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Version translated into Chinese (MSQ R-CV), the Chinese version of the Jefferson Empathy Scale (JSE), and the Chinese version of the Caring Behavior Inventory (C-CBI). The obtained data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the mediating effect of empathy was tested through structural equations. Results: The overall mean of moral sensitivity of nursing interns in two Grade 3A Hospitals in Xi'an is 40.84 ± 8.73, the overall mean of empathy is 100.51 ± 21.56, and the overall mean of caring behavior is (113.81 ± 21.05). Statistical analysis showed that there is a positive correlation between moral sensitivity and caring behavior of nursing interns (r = 0.376, p < 0.01), between their empathy and moral sensitivity (r = 0.336, p < 0.01), and between their empathy and caring behavior (r = 0.394, p < 0.01). The empathy of nursing interns has a mediated effect on the relationship between moral sensitivity and caring behavior. The mediated effect value was 0.14, accounting for 31.82% of the total effect. Conclusion: The moral sensitivity of nursing interns can have a direct impact on predicting the caring behavior and indirect influences their caring behaviors mediated by empathy, with the latter effect being mediated by empathy. Therefore, nursing educators and hospital administrators should adopt targeted interventions to improve the moral sensitivity and empathy of nursing interns, which can further prove to be beneficial in improving their caring behaviors, leading to enhanced quality of nursing care and reduced nurse-patient conflicts and finally to a stabilized nursing team.

The Effect of Psychological Distress on Adolescents' Academic Engagement: The Roles of Social-Emotional Competence and Teachers' Caring Behavior.

Purpose: The relationship between psychological distress (PD) and academic engagement (AE) in adolescents is widely recognized. However, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms behind this correlation, especially in COVID-19 pandemic policy liberalization. This study proposed a moderated mediation model to determine the mediating role of social-emotional competence (SEC) between PD and AE and the moderating role of teachers' caring behavior (TCB). Patients and methods: The moderated mediation model was tested by PROCESS macro developed based on SPSS with Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 years (n = 8625; male 50.5%) as survey respondents. Multiple scales, including the 6-item Kessler PD Scale, SEC Scale, TCB Scale, and AE Scale, were used in this test. Results: Adolescent PD negatively predicted AE. In addition, SEC partially mediated the relationship between adolescent PD and AE. TCB moderated the direct and indirect relationships between PD and AE, which mitigated the negative effect of PD on AE and enhanced the positive effect of SEC on AE. Conclusion: Adolescent SEC and TCB are essential in mediating PD and AE. This study provided instructions for schools and teachers to intervene in adolescents' PD and academic problems, such as improving SEC and engaging in TCB in an adequate and timely manner. In addition, these findings provided vital references for adolescent mental health interventions in future large-scale public health events.

The Association between Caring Behavior and Death Anxiety among Iranian Nurses Working in Covid-19 Wards.

Introduction: Nurses who are at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 have faced problems such as anxiety and stress due to the high contagiousness of this disease and the challenges of providing services to infected patients. Death anxiety and the resulting fear following the Covid-19 pandemic can affect caring behaviors and the quality of nursing care services. Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the association between caring behaviors and death anxiety among Iranian nurses working in COVID-19 wards. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 in Tehran. The participants consisted of 233 nurses who were purposively selected from university hospitals in Iran. Data collection tools included Demographic Information Form, Death Anxiety Scale, and Caring Dimension Inventory (CDI-25). Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 16). Results: Most of the participants were female (79.4%), had less than 5 years of work experience (50.6%), and had bachelor's degree (88.8%). Based on the results, the level of death anxiety among nurses was moderate (7.05 ± 3.85) and their caring behavior was at optimal level (103.03 ± 13.15). Among the subscales of caring behavior, physical-technical behaviors with mean of 46.43 ± 6.20 got the highest score, and unnecessary behaviors with mean of 4.39 ± 0.73 got the lowest score compared to other subscales. Based on data analysis findings, caring behavior and its dimensions had no significant correlation with nurses' death anxiety (p = 0.111). Conclusions: Our results showed that despite having a moderate level of anxiety, nurses try to provide good care behaviors to patients with covid-19. However, reducing nurses' anxiety can improve caring behaviors.

Influence of student nurses' perceived caring behavior of their instructors on their psychological well-being: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to understand the influence of clinical instructors' caring behavior on the psychological well-being of student nurses. DESIGN: This study survey used the quantitative cross-sectional research design. METHOD: The sample comprised 405 Saudi nursing students studying at Shaqra University. The study used two instruments: the "Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring" and the "Student Well-being Process Questionnaire." Convenience sampling was used to collect data from November 2021 to February 2022. RESULT: The students' perceived Instructor caring was high. The psychological well-being of students was high. There were significant variations in the students' perceived Instructor's caring in terms of year level. A very weak positive correlation existed between the student nurses' rank in their families and their perceived Instructor's caring. Furthermore, gender, year level, family structure, and the Instructor's caring subscales "supportive learning climate," "appreciation of life's meaning," and "control versus flexibility" were significant predictors of the student's psychological well-being. CONCLUSION: The study's results support studies that nursing students' psychological well-being is influenced by their gender, family structure, year level, and perceived Instructor's caring behavior.

Assessment of Nurses' Caring Behaviors from the Perspective of Covid-19 Patients.

Caring behaviors are an important focus of nurses' physical and technical aspects of caring. By identifying and comprehending the nurses' caring behaviors from the perspective of the patients, as well as taking into account the elements influencing caring behaviors during the Covid-19 pandemic, we may plan to offer nursing care and caring behaviors based on the needs of the patients. In this cross-sectional study, purposive sampling was used to collect data from both the Demographic Questionnaire and the Nurses' Caring Behavior Questionnaire. The results showed that the respectful relationship field had an average score of 33.57, the professional knowledge and skill field at 15.35, and the overall mean score for the questionnaire was 43.92, with the mean score from the questionnaire being higher than the real mean score. It may be concluded that this component of nurses' behavior is seen favorably by patients in the Covid-19 ward. Additionally, the patients in the Covid-19 ward thought the mean score from the questionnaire on professional knowledge and skills was good because it was higher than the real mean score. The questionnaire's overall score was likewise greater than its mean overall score. Overall, it can be concluded that patients in the Covid-19 ward have a positive opinion of the nurses' level of caring behaviors. These results indicate that it is possible to achieve ideal caring and full patient satisfaction by planning and considering future outlook in order to educate and empower nurses in terms of correct caring behaviors, and to provide quality caretaking.

The effect of work setting and demographic factors on caring behaviour among nurses in the public hospitals and public health services, Sabah, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The nursing profession's uniqueness contributes to the development of knowledge, experience, age, education, economy, and position, as well as a unique gender role. Thus, the development and advancement of demographic characteristics of nurses while in this profession influences their caring behavior. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of work setting and demographic factors on nurses' caring behaviour, as well as the differences in nurses' caring behaviour based on demographic factors between nurses in public hospitals and nurses in public health services in Sabah, Malaysia. METHODS: This research is a cross-sectional study using the survey method. Data were collected from 3,532 nurses (88.3% response rate) in public hospitals and public health services within Sabah, Malaysia. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The two-way ANOVA test revealed no significant impact of the work setting on CB, nor was there a notable interaction between the work setting and demographic factors influencing nurses' CB. However, demographic factors such as gender, age, education, economic status, position, and experience had a significant effect on CB. CONCLUSION: The present research has provided convergent evidence on the effect of demographic factors on nurses caring behavior and the differences in caring behavior based on demographic factors among nurses in public hospitals and public health services in Sabah, Malaysia.

Effects of video-recorded role-play and guided reflection on nursing student empathy, caring behavior and competence: A two-group pretest-posttest study.

AIM: The study examined the differences in nursing student empathy, caring behavior and competence between the experimental and control groups before and after educational intervention and to predict the factors affecting their core competencies. BACKGROUND: Educating nursing students in empathy and caring behaviors before entering clinical practice is challenging. DESIGN: We used a two-group pretest and post-test quasi-experimental design. METHODS: First-year nursing students from medical schools in Taiwan participated in our study. Data were collected between March and May 2022. The learning method used with the intervention group was role-playing with videos and guided reflection. The control group was exposed to traditional curriculum. Empathy, caring behavior and competence were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Healthcare Providers, the Caring Behaviors Scale and the Nursing Student Competence Scale. RESULT: A total of 72 participants (40 in the experimental group and 32 in the control group) were included in the final statistical analysis. The response rate was 92%. Statistically significant differences in nursing student empathy, caring behavior and competence were observed between the experimental and control groups (p < .05). The η2 effect levels were 0.083, 0.223 and 0.270. Higher caring behavior scores were significantly associated with higher nursing student competence scores (ß = 0.81, 95% CI:0.66-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Education based on video role-play and guided reflection improved empathy, caring behavior and nursing competence in first-year nursing students.

Nurse and Patient Assessments of COVID-19 Care Quality in China: A Comparative Survey Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the quality of nursing care was a concern due to nurses' overwhelming workload. A cross-sectional design was conducted to compare perceptions between nurses and patients about the quality of nursing care for COVID-19 patients and to explore factors associated with these perceptions. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from 17 March to 13 April 2020 in five hospitals in Wuhan, China. Perceptions of care quality were assessed among nurses and patients using the Caring Behaviors Inventory. Nurses rated the quality of caring behaviors higher than patients. Both nurses and patients rated technical caring behaviors at high levels and rated the item related to "spending time with the patient" the lowest, while patients rated it much lower than nurses. Nurses' sex, participation in ethical training organized by the hospital, professional title, being invited to Wuhan, and length of working experience in years were significantly associated with nurses' self-evaluated caring behaviors. Moreover, inpatient setting and communication mode were significantly associated with patients' self-evaluated caring behaviors.

The Association between Nursing Students' Happiness, Emotional Intelligence, and Perceived Caring Behavior in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Caring behavior is a major focus of the nursing profession and an important dimension of nursing practice that sets nurses apart from other healthcare professionals. Effective patient-centered care requires ensuring nurses have the emotional intelligence and happiness to address the daily demands of practice. The purpose of this study is to examine the emotional intelligence and happiness among nursing students and their relationship with caring behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted on nursing students (n = 363) from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, via an online survey. Measures include demographic data survey, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and Caring Behaviors Inventory scale. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were conducted for this study. RESULTS: Nursing students reported their highest degree of caring was in terms of 'respectful differences to others', while their lowest was in 'knowledge and skills'. Emotional intelligence and happiness were significant predictors of caring behaviors and explained the variance in assurance of human presence (17.5%), knowledge and skills (17.5%), respectful differences to others (18%), and positive connectedness (12.9%). In the final regression model, emotional intelligence and happiness were significant predictors of caring behaviors and explained 19.5% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional intelligence and happiness among nursing students were found to be important factors to improve their caregiving behaviors. Therefore, nursing educators should consider integrating emotional intelligence and happiness interventions for students into their curriculum.

Perception of Caring Behaviors and Associated Factors Among Nurses Working in Harar Hospitals, Eastern Ethiopia.

Introduction: Perception of caring behavior is very necessary to enhance human life, and the provision of health care, and is considered a basic key in the provision of healthcare facilities. Even though all nursing interventions are verified through nurse caring behaviors, poor perception of caring behaviors reduces the well-being of the patients. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the perception of caring behaviors and associated factors among nurses working in Harar Hospitals, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 465 randomly selected nurses. Data were collected by using a pretested and structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including frequency table, mean, standard deviation, and percentage were employed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the good perception of caring behaviors. Variables with a p-value of < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results: This study revealed that the proportion of nurses who had a good perception of caring behaviors was found to be 63.4% (95% CI: 58.5-68.2%). High-level education (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.28-4.34), low workload (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.16-3.05), satisfied with a job (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.42-4.01), good relation with coworkers (AOR = 4.56, 95% CI: 2.15-9.67) were significantly associated with a good perception of caring behaviors. Conclusions: This study reported that the proportion of nurses who had a good perception of caring behaviors was 63.4%. Educational level, workload, job satisfaction, and joint participation in the decision-making process were factors significantly associated with good perceptions of nurses caring behavior. Therefore, nurses caring behavior is enhanced by increasing educational levels, creating a conducive working environment, and making nursing active in the decision-making process to improve the perception of nurses toward nurses caring behavior.

Perception of caring behavior and associated factors among nurses and midwives working in public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the perception of caring behaviors and associated factors among nurses and midwives who provided maternal health care services at Sidama region public hospitals, Hawassa, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used on a sample of 269 nurses and midwives working in maternity wards in Sidama region public hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with nurses' and midwives' perceptions of caring behaviors. Results: Totally 261 nurses and midwives participated the survey. Based on the mean score, participants' perception of caring behavior was classified as higher and lower. According to this study, 75.1% (196/261) of nurses and midwives demonstrated a higher perception of caring behavior. Respondents' age, professional satisfaction, personal satisfaction, midwife/nurse-doctor relationship and workload were significantly associated with their perception of caring behavior. Conclusions: Assessing the nurses' and midwives' perception of caring behavior and related factors is crucial for providing high-quality nursing and midwifery interventions. It is suggested to create a positive and conducive caring behavior in the organization by reducing excessive workload of nurses and midwives, as well as enhancing nurse/midwife-doctor relationship, and increasing their job satisfaction by providing recognition and reward will improve nurses' and midwives' caring behavior.

The empathy level and caring behaviors perceptions of nursing students: A cross-sectional and correlational study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the empathy level and caring behaviors perceptions of nursing students. METHOD: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 276 nursing students. RESULTS: The mean Empathic Tendency Scale score was 62.71 ± 5.10 (min. 20 to max. 100), indicating a low level of empathy. The mean of the Caring Assessment Questionnaire was 5.42 ± 0.80 (min. 1 to max. 7), showing a good perception of caring behaviors. There was a positive, low, and significant relationship between empathy and caring behaviors (r = 0.286, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that nursing students have low-level empathy and high-level caring behaviors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Throughout the educational process, the students' caring competencies, which include empathy and caring behaviors, developed. It is suggested that humanistic and value-oriented pedagogical approaches be incorporated into nursing curricula.

Mediating Effect of Compassion Competence on the Relationship between Caring Behaviors and Quality of Nursing Services in South Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of compassion competence on the relationship between caring behaviors and the quality of nursing services. Participants included nurses working in South Korean hospitals. Data collected from 1 November to 31 December 2020 were analyzed using a t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. We found that caring behavior had a positive correlation with the quality of nursing services and compassion competence. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the quality of nursing services and compassion competence. Compassion competence had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between caring behaviors and quality of nursing services. This suggests that nurses' caring behaviors can enable high-quality nursing services influenced by compassion. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of nursing services, repeated and continuous implementation of training programs including education that can improve compassion competence is necessary.