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

• Published in: Nurse education in practice Vol. 54; p. 103090
• Main Authors: Özkan, İlknur, Taylan, Seçil, Adıbelli, Derya, Yılmaz, Feride Taşkın
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2021; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Behavior; Caregiving; Caring behaviors; Clinical medicine; Clinical nursing; College students; Disgust; Disgust sensitivity; Emotions; Food contamination & poisoning; Gynecology; Hygiene; Immune system; Internal Medicine; Investigations; Medicine; Nurse tutors; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing care; Nursing education; Nursing students; Professional practice; Questionnaires; Students; System theory; Undergraduate Students; Nursing students; Nursing education; Disgust sensitivity; Disgust; Caring behaviors
• ISSN: 1471-5953; 1873-5223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103090

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.
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.
The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and was conducted with nursing students in a Turkish university nursing program (n = 577).
The study data was collected through the Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised Form and the Caring Assessment Questionnaire.
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.
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.
•Disgust is an inevitable, natural, suppressed, ignored and hidden emotion in nursing caring practices.•Majority of nursing students experience disgust while providing care.•As the disgust sensitivity of nursing students increase, their caring behaviors are negatively influenced.•It is important for nurse educators to evaluate students’ disgust sensitivity and support them when needed.