Caring skills in nursing students at a university.

Caring skills are essential in the training of nursing professionals, because they allow them to learn and gain experience in the quality and compassionate care of future patients. The objective is to compare the Caring Skills (CS) in nursing students according to age range, experience and family environment. A descriptive comparative study was carried out. The sample consisted of 176 nursing students from a Peruvian university. The age range was 18 to 27 years. A patient care skills scale was applied. This scale has three indicators (knowledge, courage and patience) and 37 questions. There were no differences in the three indicators (knowledge, courage and patience) when compared by age range (P>0.05). There were significant differences when compared by age range between students living with family and living alone (P<0.05). There was no difference between students who had experience vs. those who had no experience in patient care (P>0.05). It was determined that age and living with family members are determinant in the CS of nursing students of a Peruvian university. There were no differences between experienced and inexperienced students.