THE MEDIATING ROLE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NURSING STUDENTS ETHICAL VALUE INCLINATION AND HEALTHCARE CARING BEHAVIORS

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of communication skills in the relationship between nursing students’ ethical value orientation and their perception of caring behaviors. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2024, with a total of 219 nursing students. Data were collected face-to-face using a sociodemographic characteristics form, Communication Skills Scale (CSS), Inclination to Ethical Values Scale (IEVS) and Caring Behavior Inventory-24 (CBI-24) Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 27 and R-Project, and a moderation analysis was applied. A moderate positive correlation was found between the IEVS and the CBI-24 (r=0.63, p<0.05). A strong positive correlation was observed between the IEVS and the CSS (r=0.74, p<0.05), while a moderate positive correlation was identified between the CSS and the CBI-24 Scale (r=0.61, p<0.05). Furthermore, the results revealed that communication skills partially mediated the relationship between ethical value orientation and perception of caring behaviors. Ethical values explained 54.2% of the variance in communication skills (R²=0.5422), and 44.5% of the variance in caring behaviors (R²=0.4457). The results indicate that strengthening ethical values in nursing education alone is not sufficient; students must also develop communication skills to effectively reflect these values in patient care. In this context, it is recommended that nursing programs emphasize interactive methods such as case analyses, simulation training, and structured communication exercises. Integrating ethical decision-making processes and communication skills in clinical practice can support students in effectively applying their ethical sensitivity in care processes.