Evaluation of the soft skills of nurses and health technicians: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Soft skills are nontechnical competencies that play a crucial role in the healthcare industry. This study aims to evaluate the soft skills of nurses and healthcare technicians, along with the factors influencing these skills. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a scale to assess the soft skills of 362 Moroccan nurses and healthcare technicians between October 2022 and January 2023. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and Spearman's correlations. A predictive model was implemented to analyze the prediction of soft skills scores. RESULTS: The participants had a satisfactory score in soft skills, especially teamwork, lifelong learning, and creativity. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the soft skills score and sex, academic level, and training in soft skills. However, no significant correlation was observed between age and experience. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the participants' experiences and their communication, decision-making, teamwork, and age. The multivariate analyses showed that higher soft skills scores were associated with sex (adjusted odds ratio = 0.74 [0.01-1.48]), having a master's degree (adjusted odds ratio = 1.56 [0.35-3.48]), and soft skills training (adjusted odds ratio = 1.15 [0.08-2.21]). CONCLUSION: The participants had satisfactory soft skills scores, and there was a significant correlation between these skills and factors such as sex, academic level, and training in soft skills. We recommend conducting additional studies involving various healthcare professionals across different regions to enhance the generalizability and reliability of our results.