Strategical Pedagogy for the Development of Socio-Emotional Competences in Nursing Students

Socio-emotional competencies (SECs) are essential for the quality of nursing practice. This study aimed to understand the pedagogical strategies provided by universities for the development of SECs in Brazil, as perceived by nursing students. This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach involving 57 nursing students from a public Higher Education Institution in Brazil. Data collection was conducted through focus groups, and interpretation was carried out using inductive thematic analysis. The pedagogical strategies identified were categorized as follows: those offered by the curriculum matrix, those provided by the Nursing course department, those made available by the university as a whole (involving all courses and students), and the challenges related to the development of socio-emotional competencies. This study revealed a deficit in the integration of SECs in the curriculum, highlighting the need for curricular restructuring and discussions on this topic. Equipping students with socio-emotional competencies during their training can help address these gaps, fostering greater resilience and self-care capabilities among nursing professionals.