Perception of caring behaviors of faculty members from the perspective of nursing students

Background: Nursing instructors' perceptions of caring play a significant role in nursing students' learning to care and think like nurses. Aim: This research assessed nursing students' perceptions of nursing instructors' caring behaviors. Methods This descriptive study was conducted with 420 nursing students. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form and the Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring Scale (NSPIC-TR). The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0, employing number, percentage, mean, and appropriate statistical tests. Results: 29.3% of the students were first-year, 76.2% were female, 99% were single, 92.3% satisfaction with being nursing students, and 84.8% reported using Watson's Theory of Human Caring (THC) in both theoretical classes and clinical practice. The overall mean score of the NSPIC-TR was 4.38 +/- 1.179 out of six. Among the subscales, the Healing Learning Environment had the highest mean score, whereas the Perceived Control over Flexibility subscale had the lowest mean score. Conclusions: Nursing students generally perceive the caring behaviors of instructors positively. It found that the students who used Watson's THC in both class and practice had a more positive perception of instructors caring. It may be recommended that person-centered care theories, such as Watson's THC, be used in nursing education.