Self-Awareness and Psychosocial Correlates Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Self-awareness, a core element of emotional intelligence, supports coping, ethical decision making, and safe patient care, yet evidence from Pakistan remains limited. This multicenter cross sectional study assessed self-awareness and its psychosocial correlates among 190 BSN students from two public nursing colleges in Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan (July–August 2025). Students completed the Life Skills Survey Tool (LiSST) and a demographic form. T-tests and ANOVA examined group differences, and multiple linear regression identified independent predictors. Participants' mean age was 21.6 years (SD = 1.7); 53.7% were female. Overall, self-awareness levels were moderate. In bivariate analyses, higher scores were observed for females, senior academic years, urban residents, and students with both parents alive (p = 0.042, 0.018, 0.037, and 0.049, respectively). In the adjusted model, academic year (β = 1.12, p = 0.004), female gender (β = 0.89, p = 0.032), and parents' survival status (both alive: β = 1.05, p = 0.041) remained independent predictors; the model was significant (F = 5.14, p < 0.001) with Adjusted R² = 0.232. Coping with emotions and stress showed strong concurrent associations with self awareness. These findings suggest that progression through training, female gender, and stable familial support are associated with greater self-awareness, whereas socioeconomic markers have a limited influence. Importantly, attention should be directed toward students with lower levels of self-awareness—such as males, those in earlier academic years, and those lacking stable family support—to provide tailored interventions that address their specific needs.