Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Qualitative Research

Introduction: Socio-emotional competencies are associated with emotional intelligence to lead and influence individuals and groups in their daily practice, including attributes, such for example, self-awareness, humility, resilience and optimism. These competencies have become fundamental to the practice of health services, needing to be developed and/or improved in the curriculum and the higher education process of future nurses. Goals and Methods: This study aimed to analyze the conceptions of nursing students about socio-emotional competencies their behaviors and attitudes in nursing training/curriculum and the strategies existing in the academic environment that allow their development. This was a qualitative, exploratory research carried out at only one Brazilian public university and the participants were undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected through Focus Groups guided by a script constructed and validated by experts; subsequently, inductive thematic analysis was carried out by two experts, promoting greater data reliability. Ethical precepts were safeguarded. Certificate of presentation of ethical review: 63960222.7.0000.5393. Results: 57 nursing students participated, distributed in seven focus groups with the presence of a moderator and an observer in all. The groups elucidated the following socio-emotional competencies necessary for work: active listening; assertive communication; empathy; receptivity; adaptability; experience; teamwork; emotional intelligence; conflict management and shared leadership. The behaviors: flexibility; non-violent communication; self-care; self-control; feedback to employees; separation between professional and personal spheres. And attitudes: ethics; weighting; calm and patience. Finally, regarding strategies for developing these competencies in the academic field, gaps were highlighted due to the absence of subjects and content in the curriculum. Conclusions: This investigation can contribute to the reflection of managers, training centers, and future nurses on the socio-emotional competencies necessary to be incorporated into the curriculum, aiming to improve the educational process, reflecting in the future on professional practice about nursing, with consequences for the quality of care and relationships of work.