Associations of Socio-emotional Competency and Self-Efficacy: A Cross-sectional Study among the Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy are key psychological resources that influence how nursing students cope with academic and clinical demands. While both constructs have been individually linked to academic performance, stress management, and professional functioning, their interrelationship has been less explored among undergraduate nursing students in low- and middle-income settings. Objective: To determine the association between socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in three nursing colleges in Peshawar, Pakistan. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025 among Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from semesters 2–8 at one public and two private nursing colleges. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire comprising sociodemographic items, the 25-item Socio-Emotional Competence Scale, and the 10-item General Self-Efficacy Scale. Scores were summarised as means and standard deviations and dichotomised into low and high categories using the sample median. Associations were examined using chi-square tests and odds ratios, and the linear relationship between continuous scores was assessed with Pearson’s correlation. Results: Of 215 participants, 54.9% were male and 68.4% were aged 18–22 years. The mean socio-emotional competence score was 78.45 (SD 8.35) and the mean self-efficacy score was 32.49 (SD 4.14). Overall, 52.6% of students had low socio-emotional competence and 51.6% had low self-efficacy. High socio-emotional competence was significantly associated with high self-efficacy (χ² = 23.30, p < 0.001; odds ratio 3.93, 95% CI 2.23–6.93). Pearson’s correlation showed a moderate positive relationship between socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy (r = 0.561, 95% CI 0.46–0.65, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy are moderately and positively associated among undergraduate nursing students, yet nearly half of students exhibit low levels of both constructs. Integrating socio-emotional skills development into nursing curricula may be a promising approach to strengthening students’ confidence and preparedness for academic and clinical challenges