Critical thinking disposition, professional self-concept and caring perception of nursing students in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the association among critical thinking disposition, professional self-concept, and caring perception in nursing students and to identify its effects on professional self-concept. 161 nursing students, who were freshmen and sophomores having performed no clinical practice in Seoul, participated in this study. The data were collected from September to December 2013 and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Significant positive correlation was found among critical thinking disposition, professional self-concept, and caring perception; critical thinking disposition and caring perception significantly affected professional self-concept and accounted for 15.7% of it. These results imply that efficient education programs can help establish a solid concept of caring and improve critical thinking ability, contributing to the development of the nursing profession.