Enhancing Nursing Professional Values among Nursing Students in South Korea

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing nursing professional values of nursing students in South Korea. Methods: This study is a descriptive study to identify predictors of nursing professional values. Data were collected from 194 senior nursing students who had completed clinical practicum in their nursing school. Included predictors of nursing professional values were interpersonal competence and spirituality. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Significant predictors of nursing professional values were intimacy and understanding among subscales of interpersonal competence, and interconnectedness among subscales of spirituality. Conclusion: To enhance nursing professional value of nursing students, nursing educators should develop specific educational programs to improve interpersonal competency for establishing intimacy with others, personal and interpersonal understanding ability, and spiritual awareness of interconnectedness.