Investigation of the relationship between nursing students' disgust sensitivity and caring behaviours

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the disgust sensitivity of nursing students, the factors affecting this sensitivity, their caring behaviors and the relationships between these components. Background: Disgust sensitivity has been conceptualized as the degree of disgust felt in response to various stimuli. Nursing students often encounter recognized disgust triggers in clinical practice, such as feces, mucus, urine, foul-smelling wounds and contact with the dead. The nursing students' disgust sensitivity can affect the way they think and may affect their care behaviors. Design: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and was conducted with nursing students in a Turkish university nursing program (n = 577). Methods: The study data was collected through the Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised Form and the Caring Assessment Questionnaire. Results: Of the students in the study, 59.6% stated that they experienced disgust while providing care. A negative relationship was found between students' total scores from the Disgust Scale and the Caring Assessment Questionnaire (p < 0.01). The students' disgust sensitivity level was high and the higher the disgust sensitivity, the fewer caring behaviors they exhibited. Conclusions: In light of these findings, it can be said that the caring behaviors of nursing students are negatively influenced by disgust sensitivity. Hence, nurse educators need to evaluate students' disgust sensitivity, help students to identify and address their disgust emotions, deal with disgust management strategies together and be aware of when students need support.