The Relationship Between Emotional Expression Skills and Psychosocial Care Competencies Among Nurses in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Psychosocial care is a core component of nursing practice aimed at meeting the holistic needs of patients. In this context, nurses’ emotional expression skills play a critical role in delivering effective psychosocial care. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nurses’ psychosocial care competencies and their emotional expression skills, and to explore the subdimensions of this relationship. Method: This descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study was conducted with 227 nurses working at a training and research hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected using a Socio-Demographic Information Form, the Psychosocial Care Competency Self-Assessment Scale (PCCSS), and the Emotional Expression Skills Scale (EESS). Data were collected between October and December 2023. Analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0, with Pearson correlation and multiple regression techniques. Results: The findings revealed statistically significant positive correlations between nurses’ psychosocial care competencies and their emotional expression skills. Specifically, the proximity and positive emotion expression subdimensions showed moderate correlations with psychosocial care subscales. However, multiple regression analysis did not identify any of the psychosocial care subdimensions as significant predictors of emotional expression skills. This suggests the possible influence of environmental or personal mediators such as institutional support, burnout, or job satisfaction. Conclusion: Enhancing nurses’ emotional expression skills may contribute to the development of their psychosocial care competencies. It is recommended to integrate emotional intelligence-based content into nursing education curricula and implement emotional awareness programs in clinical practice. Such efforts may improve both professional satisfaction among nurses and the overall quality of patient care. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.