Relational skills and preserving patient privacy in the caring process

METHOD: this was a quantitative study, descriptive and cross-sectional in design. The sample consisted of nursing undergraduate students from the Higher School of Health Sciences, in the city of Évora, Portugal. Data were collected using the previously validated Helping Relational Skills Inventory. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the development and mobilization of relational skills central to the caring process among nursing students throughout their professional training. RESULTS: the students gradually acquired "generic skills", "communication skills" and "contact skills", presenting the highest mean score in the last year of the program. However, the highest mean score for the "empathetic skills" subscale was presented by second-year students. CONCLUSION: age and year in program were found to be decisive variables regarding the acquisition of specific skills (empathetic and communication) by nursing students.