Examining relationships with patients through the facilitative student-patient scale

Introduction: The relationship between patients and nurses is one of the fundamental factors affecting the quality of care and patient satisfaction. Facilitating relationships established by nursing students with patients during clinical practice play an important role not only in the professional development of students but also in patients' experiences. In this study, the relationships between nursing students and patients were examined through the Facilitating Student–Patient Relationship Scale. After the scale was adapted into Turkish, comparisons were made between individual characteristics and the subscale scores. Methods: This research was conducted using a scale adaptation and cross-sectional methodological design. The study group consisted of 100 final-year nursing students studying at a public university and 100 patients receiving treatment in a university hospital. The adaptation process of the scale included forward and backward translation, expert opinion, and pilot testing. Data were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis. In addition, comparison and correlation tests were performed to examine the differences in scale scores according to variables. Results: The findings revealed that the Turkish form of the Facilitating Student–Patient Relationship Scale retained its two-factor structure (Care Relationship and Learning Relationship) and explained 58.0% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha values ranged between 0.825 and 0.862, indicating strong internal consistency. Significant relationships were not found between students' individual characteristics and scale scores. Comparative analyses between the student and patient groups revealed a statistically significant difference only in the care dimension (p = 0.007). The mean care scores of the students were higher than those of the patient group, and this difference corresponded to a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.60). Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Facilitating Student–Patient Relationship Scale was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool. The scale can be used in nursing education to systematically evaluate the relationships students establish with patients. Furthermore, it was confirmed that facilitating relationships contribute positively to both student development and patient experiences.