Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators

<b>Background</b>: Nursing relies on the development of caring attributes to uphold exceptional standards of care. While small-group work is a common practice in nursing education, its pivotal role in nurturing these attributes often remains underexplored. <b>Aim</b>: This st...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Florence Mei Fung Wong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Nursing Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/1/10
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832587808685948928
author Florence Mei Fung Wong
author_facet Florence Mei Fung Wong
author_sort Florence Mei Fung Wong
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background</b>: Nursing relies on the development of caring attributes to uphold exceptional standards of care. While small-group work is a common practice in nursing education, its pivotal role in nurturing these attributes often remains underexplored. <b>Aim</b>: This study explored how caring attributes emerge in small-group settings from the perspectives of nursing students and educators. <b>Methods</b>: This qualitative study conducted semi-structured group interviews separately for students and educators. Thirteen nursing students and ten educators at a professional educational institution were interviewed. <b>Results</b>: Through the interviews, four key sets of caring attributes nurtured through small-group work were identified: interpersonal communication with respect; compassion and empathy; competence and confidence; and accountability to commitment. These findings, based on the perspectives of students and educators, underscore the essential role of caring in nursing. They emphasize how collaborative group work can serve as a catalyst for the development of these vital attributes through meaningful interpersonal interactions. Notably, the cultivation of respectful communication skills among students emerged as pivotal for enriching interactions with healthcare professionals, patients, and families, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided. By providing a platform for interactive learning and continual practice, small-group work facilitates the internalization of these caring attributes, nurturing nursing professionalism over the course of students’ careers. <b>Conclusions</b>: This study offers invaluable insights into the profound impact of small-group work in fostering caring attributes and propelling advancements in nursing education and practice. By enhancing the development of these attributes, small-group work contributes to the delivery of compassionate and high-quality patient care.
format Article
id doaj-art-9b8eda88cbd548f5a50367e8d69b6a06
institution Kabale University
issn 2039-439X
2039-4403
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Nursing Reports
spelling doaj-art-9b8eda88cbd548f5a50367e8d69b6a062025-01-24T13:44:27ZengMDPI AGNursing Reports2039-439X2039-44032025-01-011511010.3390/nursrep15010010Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and EducatorsFlorence Mei Fung Wong0School of Nursing, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong SAR, China<b>Background</b>: Nursing relies on the development of caring attributes to uphold exceptional standards of care. While small-group work is a common practice in nursing education, its pivotal role in nurturing these attributes often remains underexplored. <b>Aim</b>: This study explored how caring attributes emerge in small-group settings from the perspectives of nursing students and educators. <b>Methods</b>: This qualitative study conducted semi-structured group interviews separately for students and educators. Thirteen nursing students and ten educators at a professional educational institution were interviewed. <b>Results</b>: Through the interviews, four key sets of caring attributes nurtured through small-group work were identified: interpersonal communication with respect; compassion and empathy; competence and confidence; and accountability to commitment. These findings, based on the perspectives of students and educators, underscore the essential role of caring in nursing. They emphasize how collaborative group work can serve as a catalyst for the development of these vital attributes through meaningful interpersonal interactions. Notably, the cultivation of respectful communication skills among students emerged as pivotal for enriching interactions with healthcare professionals, patients, and families, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided. By providing a platform for interactive learning and continual practice, small-group work facilitates the internalization of these caring attributes, nurturing nursing professionalism over the course of students’ careers. <b>Conclusions</b>: This study offers invaluable insights into the profound impact of small-group work in fostering caring attributes and propelling advancements in nursing education and practice. By enhancing the development of these attributes, small-group work contributes to the delivery of compassionate and high-quality patient care.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/1/10caring attributessmall-group worknursing professionalismnursing education
spellingShingle Florence Mei Fung Wong
Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
Nursing Reports
caring attributes
small-group work
nursing professionalism
nursing education
title Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
title_full Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
title_fullStr Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
title_full_unstemmed Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
title_short Fostering Caring Attributes to Improve Patient Care in Nursing Through Small-Group Work: Perspectives of Students and Educators
title_sort fostering caring attributes to improve patient care in nursing through small group work perspectives of students and educators
topic caring attributes
small-group work
nursing professionalism
nursing education
url https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/1/10
work_keys_str_mv AT florencemeifungwong fosteringcaringattributestoimprovepatientcareinnursingthroughsmallgroupworkperspectivesofstudentsandeducators