Soft skills the matchless traits and skills in nursing practice: An integrative review
,
Abstract
Background & Aim: While hard skills refer to the technical ability and factual knowledge needed to do a job, soft skills allow you to use your technical abilities and knowledge more effectively. These two skills are complementary, but soft skills are prerequisites in every profession where human interaction and teamwork are needed to succeed. This integrative review examined the research on soft skills in nursing and made recommendations based on its findings.
Methods & Materials: Whittemore and Knafl’s five-step integrative review framework was carried out using four electronic databases. These databases are the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Medline on EBSCOhost, and Scopus. Searches were conducted using keywords: soft skills, non-technical skills, nursing skills, nursing art, and aesthetics. The literature search explored no date ranges, and only the English language was considered. Full texts of relevant studies in both qualitative and quantitative research were retrieved. Critical appraisal was undertaken, and the findings of the relevant studies were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Seventeen studies were included, and the findings suggest an urgent need for soft skills in the nursing domain. Five themes emerged: the meaning of soft skills in nursing, the benefits of soft skills in nursing; the need for soft skills in nursing; the incorporation of soft skills into nursing practice; and the relationship between hard and soft skills. Findings show soft skills are the cognitive and social capabilities that complete the technical skills of the nurse.
Conclusion: Incorporating soft skills into the nursing curriculum should be a resuscitative call that requires immediate attention.
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18.Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology. 2006 Jan 1;3(2):77-101.
19.Elmohmady EA, Abo Gad RA, Ramadan A, Hamdy A. Contribution of Non-Technical Skills on Nurses' Performance Efficiency of Nursing Care Process in Intensive Care Units. Tanta Scientific Nursing Journal. 2020 Dec 1;19(2):127-50.
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21.Kusmiran E, Tohri T. Effect of Soft Skills Caring Training on Carative Factors of Nurses in Nursing Service. 2016.
22.Large C, Aldridge M. Non-technical skills required to recognise and escalate patient deterioration in acute hospital settings. Nursing Management. 2018 May 30;25(2).
23.Lewis R, Strachan A, Smith MM. Is high fidelity simulation the most effective method for the development of non-technical skills in nursing? A review of the current evidence. Open Nursing Journal. 2012;6:82-9.
24.Maria Z, Rania K. Nursing (self) assessment of soft skills in Cyprus: Training and educational issues. International Research Journal of Public and Environmental Health. 2017 Jan 2;4(1):1-10.
25.Morrell BL, Eukel HN, Santurri LE. Soft skills and implications for future professional practice: Qualitative findings of a nursing education escape room. Nurse Education Today. 2020 Oct 1;93:104462.
26.Ng LK. The perceived importance of soft (service) skills in nursing care: A research study. Nurse Education Today. 2020;85:104302.
27.Pathiratne J, editor Emotional Intelligence, Soft Skills and Nursing Performance: A Study of Nursing in Medical and Surgical Wards of a Private Tertiary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka. Annual Research Symposium, University of Colombo, October, 2015; 2015.
28.Peddle M, Bearman M, Mckenna L, Nestel D. Exploring undergraduate nursing student interactions with virtual patients to develop ‘non-technical skills’ through case study methodology. Advances in Simulation. 2019;4(1):1-11.
29.Peddle M, Mckenna L, Bearman M, Nestel D. Development of non-technical skills through virtual patients for undergraduate nursing students: an exploratory study. Nurse Education Today. 2019;73:94-101.
30.Peltonen V, Peltonen L-M, Salanterä S, Hoppu S, Elomaa J, Pappila T, et al. An observational study of technical and non-technical skills in advanced life support in the clinical setting. Resuscitation. 2020;153:162-8.
31.Pires S, Monteiro S, Pereira A, Chaló D, Melo E, Rodrigues A. Non-technical skills assessment for prelicensure nursing students: An integrative review. Nurse Education Today. 2017;58:19-24.
32.Pires SMP, Monteiro SOM, Pereira AMS, Stocker JNM, Chaló DdM, Melo EMdOPd. Non-technical skills assessment scale in nursing: construction, development and validation. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem. 2018;26.
33.Piresa S, Monteiroa S, Pereiraa A, Chalód D, Melod E, Rodriguesd A, editors. Non-technical Skills in undergraduate nursing education: Consideration for a Training Course Development. The 7th International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology; 2016.
34.Sills BW. Meaningful recognition: recognizing the" soft skills" of nursing. Tennessee Nurse. 2015 Jun 22;78(2):3-4.
35.Shakir R. Soft skills at the Malaysian institutes of higher learning. Asia Pacific Education Review. 2009 Sep;10(3):309-15.
36.Rani E, Mangala S. Need and importance of soft skills in students. Journal of Literature, Culture and Media Studies. 2010;2(3):-1-6.
37.Dixon J, Belnap C, Albrecht C, Lee K. The importance of soft skills. Corporate Finance Review. 2010 May 1;14(6):35-8.
38.Pujiastuti RSE, Sumaryanto T, Priyatin T. Education management regarding soft skills based on the ethical principles in nursing education. The Journal of Educational Development. 2014;2(2).
39.Hartiti T, Poddar S, Bhaumik A. Development Transformational Leadership Model to Improve Nurses’ Soft Skills. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences. 2020;16:113-8.
40.Waite R, McKinney NS. Capital we must develop: Emotional competence educating pre-licensure nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives. 2016;37(2):101-3.
2.Kechagias K. Teaching and assessing soft skills. SCST. 2011.
3.Wats M, Wats RK. Developing Soft Skills in Students. International Journal of Learning. 2009;15(12):1-10.
4.Schulz B. The importance of soft skills: Education beyond academic knowledge. 2008.
5.Laari L, Dube BM. Nursing students' perceptions of soft skills training in Ghana. Curationis. 2017 Apr 3;40(1):1-5.
6.Carper B. Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 1978 Oct;1(1):13-24.
7.Bhana VM. Interpersonal skills development in Generation Y student nurses: A literature review. Nurse Education Today. 2014 Dec 1;34(12):1430-4.
8.Smith GJ. The ‘soft skills’ of cancer nursing: How to keep the focus on the patient. LWW. 2014.
9.Beattie J, Griffiths D, Innes K, Morphet J. Workplace violence perpetrated by clients of health care: A need for safety and trauma‐informed care. Journal of clinical nursing. 2019 Jan;28(1-2):116-24.
10.Peplau HE. The art and science of nursing: Similarities, differences, and relations. Nursing Science Quarterly. 1988 Feb;1(1):8-15.
11.Sofaer S, Firminger K. Patient perceptions of the quality of health services. Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:513-59.
12.Vogus TJ, McClelland LE. When the customer is the patient: Lessons from healthcare research on patient satisfaction and service quality ratings. Human Resource Management Review. 2016 Mar 1;26(1):37-49.
13.Olshansky E. Nursing as the most trusted profession: Why this is important. Journal of Professional Nursing. 2011 Jul 1;27(4):193-4.
14.Burnard P, Morrison P. Nurses' perceptions of their interpersonal skills: a descriptive study using six category intervention analysis. 1988. Nurse Education Today. 2005 Nov;25(8):612-7; discussion 618-9.
15.Park MY, McMillan MA, Conway JF, Cleary SR, Murphy L, Griffiths SK. Practice-based simulation model: A curriculum innovation to enhance the critical thinking skills of nursing students. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The. 2013 Mar;30(3):41-51.
16.Broome ME. Integrative literature reviews for the development of concepts. Concept development in nursing: foundations, techniques and applications. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2000.
17.Whttemore R, Knaff K. The integrative review: update methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2005;52(5):546-53.
18.Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology. 2006 Jan 1;3(2):77-101.
19.Elmohmady EA, Abo Gad RA, Ramadan A, Hamdy A. Contribution of Non-Technical Skills on Nurses' Performance Efficiency of Nursing Care Process in Intensive Care Units. Tanta Scientific Nursing Journal. 2020 Dec 1;19(2):127-50.
20.Hariti T, Rejeki S. Strengthening soft skills as the character of student nurses through the preceptorship management model. Enfermeria Clinica. 2020 Jun 1;30:64-8.
21.Kusmiran E, Tohri T. Effect of Soft Skills Caring Training on Carative Factors of Nurses in Nursing Service. 2016.
22.Large C, Aldridge M. Non-technical skills required to recognise and escalate patient deterioration in acute hospital settings. Nursing Management. 2018 May 30;25(2).
23.Lewis R, Strachan A, Smith MM. Is high fidelity simulation the most effective method for the development of non-technical skills in nursing? A review of the current evidence. Open Nursing Journal. 2012;6:82-9.
24.Maria Z, Rania K. Nursing (self) assessment of soft skills in Cyprus: Training and educational issues. International Research Journal of Public and Environmental Health. 2017 Jan 2;4(1):1-10.
25.Morrell BL, Eukel HN, Santurri LE. Soft skills and implications for future professional practice: Qualitative findings of a nursing education escape room. Nurse Education Today. 2020 Oct 1;93:104462.
26.Ng LK. The perceived importance of soft (service) skills in nursing care: A research study. Nurse Education Today. 2020;85:104302.
27.Pathiratne J, editor Emotional Intelligence, Soft Skills and Nursing Performance: A Study of Nursing in Medical and Surgical Wards of a Private Tertiary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka. Annual Research Symposium, University of Colombo, October, 2015; 2015.
28.Peddle M, Bearman M, Mckenna L, Nestel D. Exploring undergraduate nursing student interactions with virtual patients to develop ‘non-technical skills’ through case study methodology. Advances in Simulation. 2019;4(1):1-11.
29.Peddle M, Mckenna L, Bearman M, Nestel D. Development of non-technical skills through virtual patients for undergraduate nursing students: an exploratory study. Nurse Education Today. 2019;73:94-101.
30.Peltonen V, Peltonen L-M, Salanterä S, Hoppu S, Elomaa J, Pappila T, et al. An observational study of technical and non-technical skills in advanced life support in the clinical setting. Resuscitation. 2020;153:162-8.
31.Pires S, Monteiro S, Pereira A, Chaló D, Melo E, Rodrigues A. Non-technical skills assessment for prelicensure nursing students: An integrative review. Nurse Education Today. 2017;58:19-24.
32.Pires SMP, Monteiro SOM, Pereira AMS, Stocker JNM, Chaló DdM, Melo EMdOPd. Non-technical skills assessment scale in nursing: construction, development and validation. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem. 2018;26.
33.Piresa S, Monteiroa S, Pereiraa A, Chalód D, Melod E, Rodriguesd A, editors. Non-technical Skills in undergraduate nursing education: Consideration for a Training Course Development. The 7th International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology; 2016.
34.Sills BW. Meaningful recognition: recognizing the" soft skills" of nursing. Tennessee Nurse. 2015 Jun 22;78(2):3-4.
35.Shakir R. Soft skills at the Malaysian institutes of higher learning. Asia Pacific Education Review. 2009 Sep;10(3):309-15.
36.Rani E, Mangala S. Need and importance of soft skills in students. Journal of Literature, Culture and Media Studies. 2010;2(3):-1-6.
37.Dixon J, Belnap C, Albrecht C, Lee K. The importance of soft skills. Corporate Finance Review. 2010 May 1;14(6):35-8.
38.Pujiastuti RSE, Sumaryanto T, Priyatin T. Education management regarding soft skills based on the ethical principles in nursing education. The Journal of Educational Development. 2014;2(2).
39.Hartiti T, Poddar S, Bhaumik A. Development Transformational Leadership Model to Improve Nurses’ Soft Skills. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences. 2020;16:113-8.
40.Waite R, McKinney NS. Capital we must develop: Emotional competence educating pre-licensure nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives. 2016;37(2):101-3.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 9 No 4 (2022): Autumn | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v9i4.11199 | |
| Keywords | ||
| soft skills aesthetics non-technical skills hard skills nursing skills | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Laari L, Anim-Boamah O, Boso C. Soft skills the matchless traits and skills in nursing practice: An integrative review. NPT. 2022;9(4):267-278.
