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.
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