The Effects of Critical Thinking Disposition, Perception of Others and Empathy on Communication Competency among Students Majoring in Nursing

Background/Objectives:This study seeks to identify correlations among critical thinking, perception of others and communication competencyamong nursing school students

Method/Statistical Analysis:Survey respondents were 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th year students majoring in nursing at three universities of Chung Nam and Chung Buk who understood the objectives of the study and who gave their consent on participation.

Findings:The critical thinking of subjects scored 3.27(1~5), their perception of others scored 3.35(1~5), empathy scored 3.15(1~5) and communication skills was 3.34(1~5). Variables affecting respondents’ communication competencywere critical thinking disposition 27.5%(β=.42, p<.001), peer relationships 7.8%(β=.27, p<.001) and perception of others 6.2%(β=.27, p<.001) with a total explanatory power of 41.5%. The study found out that, among those independent variables, critical thinking dispositionhas the greatest effect on communication competency.

Improvements/Applications:Based on these findings, it seems necessary to develop curriculums and programs that include strategies for smooth communication competency and improved critical thinking among nursing school students.