Asian Journal of Research in Nursing and Health

Background: Social inclusivity in nursing education is essential for promoting student belonging, well-being, and competence, yet gaps in its implementation often lead to stress, marginalization, and reduced mental health outcomes among student nurses.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the correlation between the level of social inclusivity and well-being among student nurses in a private college institution during the Academic Year 2025-2026, second semester. Specifically, it sought to assess the extent of social inclusivity in terms of social isolation, social relations, and social acceptance, evaluate the level of well-being in terms of academic satisfaction, academic efficacy, school connectedness, and college gratitude, and determine if a significant relationship exists between social inclusivity and well-being.

Study Design: This study utilized a descriptive-correlational research design.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in a private college institution in Iloilo City, Philippines, among student nurses. Data collection was carried out from January 15 to February 3, 2026, during the second semester of Academic Year 2025-2026.

Methodology: The study included 326 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from first to fourth year, selected using stratified random sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were gathered using two adopted instruments: The Social Inclusion Scale Questionnaire 9 SIS Secker et al., 2009) and The College Subjective Well-being Questionnaire (CSSWQ: Renshaw et al., 2016). The Social Inclusion Questionnaire assessed social isolation, social relations, and social acceptance using a 4-point Likert scale. The Well-Being assessed academic satisfaction, academic efficacy, school connectedness, and college gratitude using a 7-point Likert scale.

Data collection was conducted through a face-to-face survey after obtaining ethical clearance and institutional approval. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used, while Spearman’s rho was applied to determine the relationship between social inclusivity and well-being variables in non-normal data distribution.

Results: The study involved 326 respondents. The overall mean score for social inclusivity was 3.28, indicating that student nurses generally possess a level of social inclusion. Social inclusivity was highest in the domain of social acceptance (M = 3.50), followed by social isolation (M = 3.30) and social relations (M = 3.04). For well-being, the results showed that students generally possess a positive level of well-being (M = 5.37), with college gratitude (M = 5.92) being the most prominent domain, followed by academic satisfaction (M =5.56), school connectedness (M= 5,09), and academic efficacy (M= 4.90). This indicates that while students are highly thankful for their actual educational opportunities, their confidence in their academic skills is the area with the most room for growth. Inferential analysis using Spearman’s rho revealed a positive and significant relationship between overall social inclusivity and well-being (rs = 0.448, p <0.001). All dimensions of social inclusivity and well-being showed statistically in terms of social isolation, relations, and acceptance is associated with higher levels of academic satisfaction, efficacy, and connectedness. Specifically, a strong correlation was found between overall social inclusivity and school connectedness (rs= 0.892, p <0.001), indicating that a sense of belonging within the academic community is a foundational requirement for the psychological and emotional health of student nurses.

Conclusion: The study concludes that social inclusivity is significantly positively associated with well-being among student nurses. Their prominent social inclusivity reflects a supportive environment where family and peer acceptance provide a strong foundation for their social identity, although their engagement in broader cultural relations and feelings of safety in their neighbourhoods remain limited. Their well-being also shows a high degree of academic gratitude and appreciation for learning opportunities, which are essential to handle the academic rigours of the nursing curriculum. However, a distinction exists between this sense of gratitude and their actual feelings of academic efficacy and school connectedness, where there is more room for development in terms of personal organisation and peer-level belonging. The inferential analysis shows that as student nurses experience higher levels of social inclusivity and acceptance, they also reflect moderate positive well-being, confirming that an inclusive social environment is a vital component of their overall academic and emotional success.