Socio-emotional competencies as predictors of performance of nursing students in simulated clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Socio-emotional competencies positively influence academic performance and clinical practice of students enrolled in a Nursing degree. However, there is a lack of studies that relate these competencies with performance in a high-fidelity clinical simulation training scenario. Objectives: To analyze the relationship between socio-emotional competencies and performance in simulated clinical practices of a sample of 4th-year Nursing degree students. Methods: Transversal descriptive study conducted in Spain. A sample of 91 students enrolled in their last academic year of the Nursing degree, who were undergoing clinical practices along with simulation sessions. Socioemotional competencies (communication skills, coping with stress, self-efficacy, engagement, etc.) were analyzed through the use of self-administered questionnaires and their performance in high-fidelity clinical simulation sessions. Results: The socio-emotional competencies had a positive and statistically-significant correlation (p < 0.05) with performance in simulated clinical practices. A relationship between socio-emotional competencies and performance in simulated practices was observed [R2=0.502; F (20.55)=2.827; p=0.01]. Conclusions: The socio-emotional competencies of 4th-year nursing students were associated to their performance in simulated clinical practices.