Self‐Compassion Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Latent Profile Analysis

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Abstract
Self‐compassion is a core professional value in nursing and is positively associated with nursing students' psychological well‐being, academic performance, and caring behaviors. However, heterogeneity and influencing factors in self‐compassion among nursing undergraduates remain underexplored. This cross‐sectional study investigated latent profiles of self‐compassion and their associated factors among Chinese undergraduate nursing students. A total of 2004 participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the self‐compassion scale–short form. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct self‐compassion profiles: medium self‐compassion (42.71%), high self‐compassion (30.59%), and an imbalanced profile characterized by higher positive self‐compassion but lower reverse‐scored negative self‐compassion (26.70%). Multinomial logistic regression showed that gender, academic grade, professional attitude, and whether nursing was the first‐choice major were significant predictors of profile membership. These findings highlight substantial heterogeneity in self‐compassion among nursing undergraduates, with most students demonstrating moderate levels and potential for improvement. Tailored educational and psychological interventions based on self‐compassion profiles may help enhance nursing students' self‐compassion, professional identity, and mental well‐being.

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