Does participation of nursing students in social activities affect their social emotional learning skills?

Background: One of the basic conditions for raising qualified and equipped individuals in today's world is to ensure their participation in social activities. Participation in social activities supports the development of social emotional learning skills in individuals. Providing scientific evidence supporting social emotional learning is also important for developing the social emotional learning skills of nursing students. Objectives: This study examined the effect of nursing student participation in social activities on their social emotional learning skills. Design: Descriptive study. Setting and participants: The population of this descriptive study consisted of all undergraduate students studying in the nursing faculty at a state university in Turkey (1202 students). No sample was selected in the study with the goal of assessing the entire study population. The study was conducted with 715 students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Method: Data were collected using the Information Form and the Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale. The data was analyzed using frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Pearson-correlation, one-way ANOVA, t-test, and Chi-square statistical methods. Results: More than 50% of the students did not participate in social activities. The students that did participate in social activities made more friends, found more opportunities for socialization, had increased self-confidence, and approached different views with tolerance. The students did not participate in social activities due to lack of time and financial difficulties. The students had high social emotional learning skills total and subscale scores. The participation of students in social activities affects their social emotional learning skills positively. Conclusion: Therefore, nursing students' opportunities for participating in social activities should be increased and their participation in social activities should be supported through encouraging initiatives.