Training needs in soft skills of Portuguese Nurses and Associated Factors

Abstract

Introduction: The dynamic nature of the healthcare sector requires the continuous education of nurses, especially regarding transversal competences in the profession, which are essential for ensuring the quality of care. Objectives: To identify the perceived needs of Portuguese nurses regarding training in Transversal Competencies and analyze the association between sociodemographic and professional variables and the perception of these needs. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among Portuguese nurses, disseminated via social media. A list of 10 competencies was provided to assess their relevance on a Likert scale. The survey also inquired about any unlisted needs. Chi-square tests were used to test associations between nurses' characteristics and the perceived relevance of each soft skill. Results: A total of 167 nurses participated, identifying the following areas as "Very or Extremely" high priority for training: "Interpersonal, motivational, and teamwork management" (68%), "Conflict Management" (67%), "Stress Management and Burnout Prevention" (66%), "Leadership and Team Management" (60%), and "Communication" (60%). Nurses with a Master's or Doctorate degree rated the need for training in “Leadership and Team Management” significantly higher compared to nurses with a bachelor's degree (χ²1=7.939; p=0.005). A similar trend was observed for “English” (χ²1=4.225; p=0.040). Likewise, Specialist Nurses and Managers rated training in “Leadership and Team Management” (χ²1=4.005; p=0.045) and 'Information Technologies' significantly higher than Nurses (p=0.050). Conclusions: The study identifies the priority training areas for Portuguese nurses regarding transversal competencies, which are essential for planning and developing continuous education opportunities.