Retrospective quantitative study reveals increased self-perceived caring efficacy in nursing students following a holistic curriculum, suggesting benefits of caring science education.
Purpose The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a change in nursing students' self-perceived caring efficacy in a holistically endorsed BSN program. The curriculum embraced Unitary Human Caring Science (UHCS) and engaged students in self-care practices and caring literacy. Design A retrospective quantitative study at a private Midwest university used undergraduate nursing student reported scores on the Coates Caring Efficacy Scale. Methods Nursing students completed the self-assessment at the beginning of the program and at the end of their final semester. Data were collected via Qualtrics and analyzed using SPSS. Findings There was a significantly higher mean of reported students' caring efficacy scale scores at the end of their senior semester compared to their first semester. Conclusion Educators are empowered to design curriculum grounded in holistic theory, such as UHCS, and incorporate components such as self-care, self-compassion, and self-reflection in order to enhance caring and compassion for patients.
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Cunniff et al. (2026) studied this question.
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