Nursing students’ perceptions of nonverbal communication using chronemics in surgical settings

OBJECTIVES: to understand nursing students' perceptions of nonverbal communication using chronemics in surgical settings. METHODS: a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, based on Edward T. Hall's theory of nonverbal communication. Thirty nursing students from a public institution in northern Brazil participated. Data were collected in May and June 2025 through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: chronemics was perceived as a central element in surgical settings. The accelerated pace generated strangeness, anxiety, and insecurity, hindering learning. The waiting period revealed the team's priorities, indicating who receives attention in the care flow. The nursing staff's time management highlighted the conflict between task efficiency and availability for teaching, establishing itself as a training model. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: chronemics constitute an essential dimension and a crucial element of communication in nursing education and in healthcare teams.