TY  - EJOU
AU  - Ma, Huan 
AU  - Zou, Jinmei 
AU  - Zhong, Ying 

TI  - Emotional intelligence and perceptions of patient safety competence among nursing students in clinical practice: The moderating role of moral courage
T2  - Journal of Psychology in Africa

PY  - 2025
VL  - 35
IS  - 1
SN  - 1815-5626

AB  - This study explored the mediating role of moral courage in the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceptions of patient safety competence among nursing students in clinical practice. The study sample comprised 220 nursing students from a teaching hospital (female = 93.6%; mean age = 20.64 years, SD = 1.78 years). Nursing students completed standardized measures of Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Moral Courage Scale, and the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey. Following hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrap analysis, the results showed that emotional intelligence and moral courage significantly predicted high levels of the perceptions of patient safety competence among nursing students in clinical practice. Moreover, moral courage partially mediated the relationship emotional intelligence and perceptions of patient safety competence. The results indicate measures focused on improving emotional intelligence and moral courage levels among nursing students in clinical practice will be effective at increasing their perceptions of patient safety competence.
KW  - moral courage; emotional intelligence; perceptions of patient safety competence; nursing students; clinical practice

DO  - 10.32604/jpa.2025.065766