The influence of gender-friendly environment and communication competence of male nursing students on adjustment to college life

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a gender-friendly environment and the communication competence of male nursing students on college life adaptation.Methods: The participants included 221 male nursing students from the nursing departments at five universities. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions with SPSS/WIN 18.0.Results: The participants’ scores on the gender-friendly environment, communication competence, and college life adaptation were 58.41±10.96, 56.19±7.32, and 117.37±16.86, respectively. Factors influencing male nursing students’ college adaptation included satisfaction with major, communication competence, academic grade, and economic level. These variables together explained 59% of college adaptation in male nursing students (F=26.74, <i>p</i><.001).Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the development and application of educational programs for communication competence and a gender-friendly educational environment are essential in enhancing the adaptation of male nursing students to college life.