Attitudes Toward Vital Signs Assessment as a Predictor of Attitudes Toward Pain Assessment Among Nursing Students With Clinical Practice Experience.

purposeThis study aimed to examine nursing students' attitudes toward vital signs assessment and pain assessment by demographic characteristics and to identify the effect of attitudes toward vital signs assessment on attitudes toward pain assessment as well as the predictors of attitudes toward pain assessment.

methodsA descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2025 with 332 second-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students who had clinical practice experience. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Attitudes Towards Vital Signs Monitoring Scale-Turkish Version (V-Scale-TR), and the Nursing Students' Attitudes Scale Toward Pain Assessment (NSASPA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses.

resultsA moderate positive correlation was found between nursing students' attitudes toward vital signs assessment and their attitudes toward pain assessment (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that demographic variables and attitudes toward vital signs assessment together explained 43.5% of the variance in attitudes toward pain assessment (R

conclusionsMore positive attitudes toward vital signs assessment were associated with more positive attitudes toward pain assessment. These findings suggest that competence and awareness in vital signs monitoring may enhance nursing students' sensitivity, empathy, and clinical judgment in pain assessment. IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE: Integrating evidence-based education on vital signs assessment and pain assessment into undergraduate nursing curricula may improve nursing students' critical thinking skills, empathy, and overall quality of patient care across diverse healthcare settings.