Akile KARAASLAN EŞER
Global Nursing Insights - 2026;13(1):17-27
Aim: This study aimed to examine the impact of a mandatory clinical oncology nursing course on nursing students' compassion competence and moral sensitivity in Turkey. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was employed with 170 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the first mandatory Clinical Oncology Nursing course in Turkey, which combined seven weeks of theory and seven weeks of supervised clinical practice. Data were collected using the Compassion Competence Scale (CCS) and Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire (MSQ). Statistical analyses included paired t-tests, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons. Results: Compassion competence increased from 43.08 +/- 7.37 to 48.65 +/- 5.93 (p < .001), with a mean difference of 5.56 (95% CI: 4.96-6.17) and a large effect size (d = 1.40). Moral sensitivity scores decreased from 83.28 +/- 24.51 to 73.45 +/- 21.06 (p < .001), with a mean difference of -9.82 (95% CI: -11.53 to -8.12) and a large effect size (d = 0.87). Pre-test/post-test changes were also observed across all subscales. Higher compassion competence was observed among female, older, and third-year students, and among those with prior oncology-related coursework or clinical experience (p < .05). Greater moral sensitivity was observed among third-year students and those with prior oncology clinical experience (p < .05). Conclusions: Integrating theoretical instruction with direct oncology practice enhanced nursing students' compassion, competence, and moral sensitivity, emphasizing the value of experiential and reflective learning in developing ethically grounded and compassionate professionals.
