Exploring the relationship between character strengths and well-being in nursing students: an analysis

Abstract

PurposeNursing students encounter a combination of academic rigor, clinical demands and emotional hurdles. Juggling coursework, practical training and patient interaction can be stressful, and exposure to such situations may impact their psychological well-being. This study aims to highlight the top strengths among nursing students and identify the strengths associated with well-being.Design/methodology/approachConvenience sampling was used to select a sample of 150 nursing students studying in first, second and third year from colleges of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Students were administered the Values In Action character strengths inventory, the satisfaction with life scale and scale of positive and negative experience. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation.FindingsResults show that among nursing students, kindness emerged as the foremost strength with the highest mean, followed by honesty, creativity, spirituality and teamwork, and the strengths of curiosity, gratitude, perseverance, self-regulation, social intelligence, and zest were positively associated with life satisfaction and positive emotions and negatively related to negative emotions.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size was a limitation; however, this study has been conducted at different locations to improve generalizability.Practical implicationsThis study has profound implications for nursing students, both in their personal development and their future roles as health-care professionals, as fostering these attributes can contribute to the students’ growth, well-being and effectiveness as compassionate and competent caregivers. Working on strengths is associated with well-being; therefore, using strengths identified by this study will have a beneficial effect on the students’ well-being.Social implicationsCuriosity and social intelligence, for instance, can help nurses better understand patient needs and emotions, developing strengths like perseverance and self-regulation can equip nursing students with tools to cope effectively with the challenges inherent in health-care settings. Traits such as gratitude and social intelligence can enhance communication and empathy which are vital skills for establishing rapport with patients and their families. Emphasizing teamwork as a strength aligns with the collaborative nature of health care. By embodying values like kindness and spirituality, nursing students can create a more compassionate and meaningful experience for patients, as well as themselves.Originality/valueThe research paper identifies and emphasizes the five character strengths that are most commonly observed in a sample of Indian nursing students. In addition, this study delves deeper into these identified strengths to understand how they relate to the overall well-being of nursing students within this specific population. The existing literature has not explored it exhaustively.