Self-Compassion Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Abstract

Self-compassion is a core professional value in nursing and is positively associated with nursing students' psychological well-being, academic performance, and caring behaviors. However, heterogeneity and influencing factors in self-compassion among nursing undergraduates remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study investigated latent profiles of self-compassion and their associated factors among Chinese undergraduate nursing students. A total of 2004 participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the self-compassion scale-short form. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct self-compassion profiles: medium self-compassion (42.71%), high self-compassion (30.59%), and an imbalanced profile characterized by higher positive self-compassion but lower reverse-scored negative self-compassion (26.70%). Multinomial logistic regression showed that gender, academic grade, professional attitude, and whether nursing was the first-choice major were significant predictors of profile membership. These findings highlight substantial heterogeneity in self-compassion among nursing undergraduates, with most students demonstrating moderate levels and potential for improvement. Tailored educational and psychological interventions based on self-compassion profiles may help enhance nursing students' self-compassion, professional identity, and mental well-being.