Nursing Students Evaluate the Hidden Curriculum in Their Faculties: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine how nursing students evaluate the hidden curriculum in their faculty. Methods: The study has a descriptive and cross-sectional design. The population of the study consists of first, second, third, and fourth-year nursing students attending the fall and spring semesters of the 2021-2022 academic year at a university's nursing faculty. A total of 288 students participated in the study. The data were collected online by the “General Information Form”, “Hidden Curriculum Evaluation Scale in Nursing Education”. In the study, the data were evaluated with t test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: In the study, the mean total score of the Hidden Curriculum Evaluation Scale in Nursing Education was determined to be 161.99 (±25.30). The mean scores for the sub-dimensions of the scale were 71.01 (±12.32) for school climate, 48.75 (±11.09) for professional attainments, and 42.23 (± 8.38) for student-teacher-school interaction. It was determined that students evaluated the hidden curriculum in their faculties at above a moderate level and that their perception of the hidden curriculum differed according to gender, age, grade level, career preferences and level of knowledge on the subject. Conclusion: It is extremely important for institutions and educators to be aware of the hidden curriculum and to pay attention to the role of professional values, norms and behaviors.